Perpetual Infallibility
by vixyplatinum
Summary: With her home under attack, the princess of a torn Galma seeks refuge in Narnia, and maybe in a certain king's arms. Movieverse. After Prince Caspian and before Dawn Treader. Caspian / OC. Alternate Universe.
1. Chapter 1

It was a quiet night. The only noise that was heard was the waves crashing against the ocean below the castle grounds. The light breeze from the cold night swept through open windows, rustling the curtains and swaying the canopy of the bed.

Alena laid against her mattress, staring up at the canopy, watching the fabric dance in the low wind. She could not sleep. She tried but she failed. Her eyes were wide awake and her thoughts were running around like a lion on the prowl.

Sitting up slightly, the young woman decided to check on her sister. Slipping out of bed, quiet as a night fox, she left her room and crossed the hall swiftly. Pushing open the stone door, Alena stepped inside.

The bed was before her, carrying the body of her sleeping sister, Megra.

Megra was seven years younger than Alena herself. Though the two are sisters, they are vastly different both physically and mentally. One look at them could easily fool someone that the two are not related.

Megra has short, dark hair. It was black as a raven, thick in curls that only reached her shoulders. Her skin was fair to the point where it looked delicate, and Alena was often afraid that she would hurt Megra just by hugging her.

The older sister moved a violent curl out of Megra's face and watched her sleep for a moment longer. She could never remember being that innocent, as though there was not a care in the world that required her attention. Where did her innocence go?

Megra shifted in her bed, which made Alena believe she overstayed her welcome. She shuffled to the door quietly, like a mouse, and opened it. Stepping outside, she was almost knocked over by a passing guard.

Alena stood back, only to watch more guards running after him. She turned her head, watching them turn a corner and disappear. Something was unsettling in her stomach and she longed to find out more.

She followed the guards, jogging to keep up with them. However, much to her chagrin, she was spotted.

"Princess, you must go back!" shouted one of the guards.

Despite the warning, Alena did not pay attention. She squirmed through the guards only to hear a louder commotion, screaming and yelling bursting through her eardrums.

Turning to look out of a nearby window, her worst fears were recognized. The stables were already engulfed in flames and the fire was climbing up the castle walls quickly. The guards were attempting to put out the flame, but the more they poured buckets of water on the raging fires, the more the fire got angry and grew.

"Save the king!" someone had shouted over the commotion but Alena was not hearing anything else but the roar of the intensity.

She ran past the guards, determined to help save her home. She went downstairs, struggling to make it past the cooks who were clamoring up. Entering the kitchen, Alena was hit with a bout of heavy smoke. Holding her breath, the young woman raced to the side door and forced it open.

Outside was worse than inside. Her first thought was to race to the stables to find her horse Balios, whom she named after her teachings from her professor. She trudged over to the stables, dodging the sudden whim of flaming arrows that were penetrating the guards around her.

Her kingdom was under attack and she needed to get help.

Stepping over a fallen guard, Alena could feel the flames dancing on her face as she approached the stables. Before she could reach the stables however, great hands grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around.

She stood face-to-face with her father, King Oaison. She was relieved to see a familiar face, though she was also scared. The king's face was sullen though his eyes were vibrant with wrath.

"What are you doing out here?" the king snapped at his daughter, shaking her in his strong arms, "You shouldn't be out here." He was holding a satchel in his arms. Alena could feel the leather rubbing against her skin.

Alena could not say a word. Her voice was frozen in her throat. She had never seen her father look as angry, as terrified as to what was happening. Her eyes tore into his, determined to stand her ground and retrieve assistance.

"I am going to get help," Alena said boldly.

King Oaison's face went from fuming to surprise. His demeanor changed just as quickly. He kept a grip against Alena's arms while pushing her backwards, walking her away from the scene that lay behind him.

"No," he said. His voice was stern and authoritative. "You will leave. You will leave the island of Galma and save yourself," he said.

Alena could feel the change of ground underneath her feet. It went from a smooth under footing to a rougher, prickly one. She knew she was at the edge of the forest, the very same one she often explored, the very same one that surrounded her kingdom like a wall of trees, like protection.

"But—" she began to say, only to have her father cut her off.

"There is a boat," the king began. The words were coming out of his mouth quickly now, like he was trying to get all of them out before something happened. "It's on the shore. Take the boat to Narnia. It should take you two days at most. Use this, it will help you." He handed the satchel to her.

Alena stood there, watching her father push her further and further into the wood with each passing word he spoke. He was saying things, but her mind was not processing it. Her hand mindlessly reached out to take the leather bag from her father's hand.

"You cannot come back to Galma. Under any circumstances do you not come back," he responded sharply.

She could feel the tears brimming against her eyes at this point. How was she supposed to just leave without a second's glance back? Her father, King Oaison, looked frightful as he leaned in to kiss his daughter's forehead.

Alena made a move to hug him but a sharp gasp had prevented her from doing so. Her father pulled back, his grip against her arms loosening considerably.

"Father?" Alena asked quietly.

The king sunk to his knees. His eyes were now glassy and he used his remaining strength to point to the brush of wood behind her. "Go," he whispered.

He fell forward and Alena could see the flaming arrow that had pierced her father's skin from behind, sticking right up like it had claimed its mark.

King Oaison looked up, giving Alena one final push as he spoke his last words, "I love you."

The young princess, her hand over her mouth now from such horror, stepped back over a branch and looked down at her dead father. Gripping the satchel tightly before slinging it around her shoulder, she heeded her father's words and took off in a run, in the direction that King Oaison had put her toward.


	2. Chapter 2

The woods were rough, and it was hard to navigate with poor lighting from the stars above. She could no longer smell the smoke from the fires, and her lungs felt clearer. Her head, which was swimming with thoughts on what to do earlier, seemed to now be able to process her thoughts clearly.

She was tired, but she refused to stop. The shore was just up ahead.

Stepping over a branch, she forgot how steep the hill was that led to the ocean. Alena gripped a tree trunk to help support herself as she stepped down, avoiding the jagged rocks that seemed strewn about. Her mind was racing to get to safety, and the sooner she left Galma, the safer she will feel.

The ground went from rocky to sticky in a matter of seconds, and she looked down. Mud was caked alongside her shoes, and it was a sign that she was near water.

Pulling through the brush, her legs betrayed her and she sank to her knees. Looking ahead, she saw the shore. A sense of relief washed over her, and she did not want to waste another moment. She slowly stood up, though it took a few minutes to fully gain control of her legs. They felt weighed down, like anchors were attached to them. The satchel, which now hung around her, felt as though it were made of lead. She pulled herself through the sand, and found the rowboat.

Alena dived into the wooden boat, resting on the seat as she lay staring up at the stars. Her breath was ragged, and her body was craving sleep. The journey from the castle to the shore, though it didn't take long, was treacherous in its own right. She pulled the satchel off of her, and sat up straight. She couldn't rest yet, not until she was safely away from her home island.

Grabbing the oars, she began to row the boat off the shore. It was a terrible process. Her strength was failing, and emitted small grunts with each row her arms had done. Galma was slowly drifting away from her. Part of her wanted to reach out and touch it, grab it, and hold onto it dearly. The other part of her knew it was not a safe haven anymore. Galma, though it was her home, was no longer her home.

She rowed until her arms couldn't row any more. Galma was a safe distance away at this point, though it was still in her vision. It was hard to say goodbye.

Alena looked at the leather satchel that she had so carelessly tossed aside earlier and reached for it. It was a bit heavy with her weak arms, but she brought the satchel toward her and nestled it in her lap. Opening the flap, she reached inside. Her hand found an object and she pulled it out.

It was a shiny, red apple.

Her mouth watered at the fruit and her teeth sank in immediately. The savoring juice was blissful against her mouth, and her tongue welcomed more and more of it. She ate gingerly, letting the current take care of the boat while she relaxed. She felt better now.

The apple became a core in just ten minutes and Alena wanted more. She looked in the satchel, seeing what her father had picked out for her. It was almost like he knew something were to happen since he had the satchel, as well as a plan, ready for her. Alena could faintly make out three more apples, along with some bread and cheese. There was even meat rolled up in paper for safe keeping during the passage.

The contents of the satchel were more than enough for a two day trip.

A sickening thought suddenly hit her, and she could feel the apple protruding against her stomach lining. "I wasn't supposed to go alone," Alena said in a barely audible whisper.

It was a two day trip from Galma to Narnia by boat. Alena calculated the problem in her head. The food in the satchel was more than enough for two days, which meant someone was supposed to come with her. There was enough food for two people lasting for two days. Her mind ultimately shut the thoughts out. There was no way, no way at all, that it was meant to be like that.

Pushing the thought out, Alena focused on the contents of the satchel. It would be good to have extra food, since she was sure it would take her some time to find solace in Narnia. That was a much more bearable thought. She will be fine on her own.

She looked in the satchel, and started mentally calculating how long the food would last her if she were smart enough. But then – what's this? Something had caught her eye. It glimmered in the shadows against the moonlight, and Alena reached for it. Her hand felt a metal, cold and hard, against her skin and she pulled it out.

Her heart sank at the object in her hand. It was her crown.

The aquamarine jewels, brilliant blues and greens, sparkled against the shadows of the dark sky. The diamonds, which traced the aquamarine jewels shone brighter than ever. How could her father know? How could he know that she was the one to be saved?

The thought was sad, and Alena let a tear fall. She was away from Galma now; she could now grieve in peace. She stared at the crown, remembering when she first received it.

It was a birthday present when she turned thirteen. That was when she knew what being a princess was all about, the trials and errors, the kingdom, listening to her people, so on and so forth. It was at age thirteen when she was beginning to be groomed into the princess she now is.

She thought she would never see her crown again, and now that she has it with her, she doesn't want it out of her ownership. This was her last tie to Galma, and it has now become her greatest possession.

She felt much better now, the weakness of her body turned to exhaustion. She had no idea how tired she was until this very moment. Tucking her crown safely in the satchel, Alena slid off of the center thwart and sat on the bottom boards of the boat. Resting her head on the wooden bench before her, she felt herself drifting off just as soon as she was comfortable.

The boat rocked back and forth, but at this point, the only way the current was heading was to Narnia.

* * *

"What should we do with her?"

"I don't know. Check her haversack."

There was a ruffling noise, though it was too soft. Alena wasn't ready to wake up yet, her body craved more sleep. She was having a good dream too and she did not want to be pushed out of it. Her eyes refused to open, and her brain refused to process what was going on.

"Look at this!"

"By Jove! The king will surely be happy."

"Alright girly, wake up."

Someone was pushing her. When she protested, a pair of robust hands had picked her up from the bottom boards and Alena's eyes snapped open.

Two grown men, both dressed as though they are going to war, were staring at her. One of them had his sword pointed at her, the tip touching the fabric of her clothes. The other was setting her down gently on the sand. The trip, which was supposed to be two days, apparently took a day and a half according to the placement of the sun in the sky. Did she really sleep that long? She must have been exhausted.

"Who are you and what brings you to Narnia?" the man with the sword pointed at her had spoken.

Alena lost her ability to speak. She was still thinking about the trip, how she slept through most of it, and arrived earlier than planned. She had to remind herself what had happened, Galma under attack, her father saving her, since her mind felt completely erased.

"Not talking, huh? Then explain this."

One of them, Alena couldn't even be sure who it was at this point, held the aquamarine crown up to her. Alena's eyes widened and reached to take it, but the crown was snatched away from her.

"That's… that's mine," Alena spoke quietly.

Her voice felt locked in her throat, as though it were scared to come out. It must be because a great, pointy sword was staring her in the face. She wasn't a threat. How could these men believe she was a threat?

"I do not think so," the man with the sword had said. There was a charismatic air within his choice of words, the way he said it made it feel like Alena was being put in her place.

"It is," Alena said. She tried to muster up the courage by sounding like him, sounding like she was an authority figure. She was on Galma, and she felt she should be treated with the same respect despite being in a different country.

"Look at this one," the other guard laughed at her.

Alena hated the feeling. She hated feeling as though she were undignified and insignificant. She had no weapon on her. Everything she had been in the satchel. Except now, the contents were dumped on the ground. The apples, the bread, even the meat lay wasted against the sandy shore of Narnia. She felt a sense of anger bubbling up within her, and she did her best to try and push it back down.

"Give it back," Alena explained. She needed her crown, it was the only tie she had to her home and she wanted it back. She felt a feeling of dread wash over her as the guards both displayed a sneer on their ugly faces.

Alena reached for the crown, wanting it so badly but one of the guards held her back. He grabbed her hands and forced them behind her like she was some kind of prisoner.

"I think we should take her to the king, Cydare."

The one called Cydare was the one who was holding onto her, forcing her arms up where she felt a slight pain at the sudden flexibility. "I couldn't agree more, Bayde."

Bayde was the guard who was holding onto her crown, the only item she really wanted to touch. His sneer was the ugliest of all. The edges of his thick black mustache curled up, making him look evil.

How did Alena even end up in this situation? What gave them the right to lay a hand on her, to take her things?

She felt a sharp push as Cydare shoved her, only to feel cold metallic bands wrap around her wrists. Cydare shackled her hands behind her back, leaving Alena defenseless.

It happened in a whirl, and Alena had trouble processing it all. Though normally steadfast, Alena felt constricted and unimportant. She felt like a minor being, as small as an ant, waiting to be squashed by the boots of Cydare and Bayde at any possible moment.

Cydare had shoved her and Alena began walking. She followed the footsteps that were already in the sand, and found two horses tied to a tree, one for Cydare and one for Bayde, which meant she had no choice but to ride with one of these foul beasts.

"Up you go," Bayde told her.

Alena placed her foot in the stirrups and Cydare pulled the girl up onto the horse. Moments later, he hoisted himself up and joined her. An arm was around her waist while the other hand gripped the reins. It came to no surprise that Alena felt uncomfortable with her captor like this.

Bayde got on his horse and turned to look at Alena. "Do you know what happens to thiefs?" he asked her.

Alena's eyes widened. So that's what she is being accused of, stealing things. Like her crown. Oh, these dreadful idiots thought she stole her own crown.

Bayde patted his sword, indicating some kind of execution as the answer. Alena was surely going to set things straight with the king, whoever he was.

"It is a couple hours to Cair Paravel. Make yourself comfortable, girly." Cydare's hot breath hit the back of her neck. She wanted to so desperately turn around and slap him for his horrid demeanor. Squirming against the shackles, as if they would loosen at her whim, the horses took off to whatever Cair Paravel was.


	3. Chapter 3

The ride to Cair Paravel was long and bumpy. Alena struggled to hold on, but with her hands shackled behind her back, there was nothing to hold on to. The horse knocked her around, and it was a miracle that she did not fly off of the thing. However, the miracle was short-lived when she felt that protruding, disgusting figure known as Cydare's grip around her, and the thought to kick him when she got off the horse was sounding more and more pleasing with each passing second.

That was when she saw it. The castle, which she believed to be known as Cair Paravel, stood bright and tall against the grueling sun. Her eyes squinted to take in the sight.

There was a soft pang in her heart because it reminded her of Galma, however the two castles were vastly different. Still, she had to remind herself that she could never return to her ruined home. The sooner that thought clicked in; the better she will be in the long run.

The horses galloped toward what Alena made out to be the stables. They slowed down and she could feel how sore her legs were from gripping the horse with all of her might. A stagehand, a young man probably no more than fifteen, had taken the reins of Cydare's horse to steady the creature.

The ugly brute got off his horse and grabbed Alena by the waist. She let out a gasp as the guard yanked her off of the saddle.

The force had knocked Alena off her feet and she sank to her knees. Cydare grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back so that the stagehand may get a good look at her.

"Caught the thief," Cydare explained while the other guard, Bayde, had joined the troupe. "She had this with her."

Bayde held out the crown, the aquamarine jewels flashing in Alena's face.

The stagehand did not say another word, but only nodded. The two guards and the prisoner princess then treaded into the castle. As much as Alena tried to protest, her efforts were thwarted by the heavy bully that kept his repulsive hands on her.

"Be nice, girly."

Cydare's breath licked her ear, and she wanted to scream. Her mind was preparing a speech to say to the king, though her body was fighting every attempt at being brought forth to the reigning man, whoever he may be.

She was taken to a dining hall. It had long tables full of food, and her mouth practically watered at the sight. There were high windows and a magnificent chandelier that seemed to work together to illuminate the room in a soft glow. The floor looked polished and clean, with some kind of pattern glossed into the marble. There were people everywhere, littering the dining hall in fancy dress.

It appeared to be a party, though the Galman princess had no idea what they could possibly be celebrating. Her face flushed with red from embarrassment, mostly due to the fact that she thought she was going to be addressing the king, only the king. She did not prepare herself for addressing his royal court and concubines. The very thought made her shudder, and the speech was slowly materializing from her mind.

"Your highness," Cydare's voice boomed behind her.

It was in that moment that Alena could feel the many pairs of eyes turning to her, judging her. She was helpless, bounded against the true foulest guards she had ever grown to have contact with. Alena boldly took a chance and looked at the faces of the court. Most notably was the look of shock, since it was apparent that the merriment in the dining hall was being disturbed by the presence of a prisoner.

Once those features were engrained in the poor princess's mind, she then turned her attention to finding the king in the sea of ridiculous people. Well, there weren't just people. There was a mouse perched on the table, sword at the ready. And some group of centaurs in the back, though Alena had never met one in person and only knew what they are based upon her learning.

But the king… that was a different story. There was no crown on any of the heads to signal such a status. In fact, most of the men dressed the same. There was no one more formal than others, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for Alena to keep steady eye contact as she scanned each face of the gentlemen.

"We caught the thief," Bayde declared proudly.

The eloquent speech that Alena had practiced over and over again on the ride to Cair Paravel, as well as the short walk from the stables to the dining hall had now completely evaporated. The king had his sights on her, surely. If only she could say the same.

"How do you know?" came a voice.

It was a bold sound, and it shook Alena to the core. It was a voice that belonged to someone of higher standing, though the more Alena looked around, the more she had no idea where it had come from.

That's when she saw him.

A figure stepped forward, and the princess's eyes widened. Surely this was a trick. The gentleman that stood seemed so plain. He did not have any distinguishing features that assured Alena that he was the so-called king. Surely he was not the king.

He was a handsome man, not at all what Alena had predicted. And he was young. She expected someone older with graying hair and a stern look. This king, the king of Narnia, did not strike any of those features. His hair was dark; his eyes were a dark blue, piercing into her as the notion to not look away escalated. He was tall, standing upright as intrepidly as possible. He also had a sword attached to his person, for the Galman princess could see the glittering hilt when the king moved about.

"She had this on her," Bayde tossed the crown to the king's feet, where it proceeded to clatter to the floor. By this point, Cydare was already forcing Alena onto her knees, to kneel before the sovereign, as though she were to be awaiting punishment.

"She was trying to leave Narnia, your highness. She planned an escape, having a boat and food ready."

Cydare's voice was confident. The words flew out of his mouth as though he had practiced his own speech. Though the scenario he had said was false, Alena could see how the idiotic guards arrived to the conclusion that she was leaving Narnia.

However, Alena could not find her voice to defend herself.

The king had bent down to pick up the crown, admiring it in the light before looking at his guards with their prisoner. He studied the jewels though his face was unreadable. His eyes went back and forth from the crown to the princess, and it appeared that he was deep in thought. The gaiety had come to a halt, waiting with baited breath as to what the king would say.

"She is not the thief," the king said after a long while.

The air in the dining hall seemed relieved as though everyone sighed a breath of liberation at the words spoken. Small chatter among the guests resumed. Their attention left Alena, the two guards, and the king. For the first time that afternoon, Alena felt reprieved.

"But your highness-" one of the guards began but at this point, Alena did not know which one was speaking. She was too busy getting her heart back into a steady rhythm after hearing how the king was contemplating her pardon. If she was not the thief, there was no reason for an execution.

"This isn't mine," he noted while holding the crown in their faces. His voice was even, though Alena could vaguely detect a shred of annoyance hidden within the tone. It was not that intricate to tell that he was angry at the mistake that his stupid oafs as guards had made.

"You cannot possibly remember everything in your vault," Bayde said. His voice was exasperated, like he was feeling guilty.

The king's eyes darkened in anger. He felt challenged by his guard and he didn't like it.

"I remember everything the kings and queens of old left me," he replied. Venom was dripping from his voice now. Alena was slowly becoming anxious. If the king was frustrated, he might decide to take it out on her.

Bayde and Cydare backed off. They were obviously upset for irritating their king.

The king walked over to the bound princess. He was so quiet that Alena did not even know he was there before her. She saw the features of his black boots faintly and had to blink a few times before the image became clear. She was about to look up at him, but it was him who ended up kneeling down before her, appearing at her temporary eye level.

The two of them locked eyes. She stared into his beautiful hues, trying to read him despite not even knowing him. He, on the other hand, was curious about the stranger before him. She was unlike any of the people in his kingdom, and he knew somehow that she wasn't Narnian. Nor was she a Telmarine like he was. She was unusual, and that only made him even more curious about her. To start with, why was she here? Where did she come from?

"What's your name?" the king asked her.

She turned away, averting her eyes from his gaze. She said nothing. She did not want to say anything anymore. She just wanted to leave this place and go home. Whether Galma is destroyed or not, she just wanted to go home.

"The king asked you a question, girly."

"Let her go."

The king stood upright and watched the look on Cydare's face morph into shock. There was a sense of protest as Cydare and Bayde looked at one another, not wanting to comply with the king's wishes, but effectively having no choice but to do so.

The king waited patiently, eyes scanning the princess before scowling at his guards. "Now."

Cydare obeyed and unlocked the shackles that bound her. He handed the iron cuffs to Bayde, who discarded them on his person.

The king, who had yet to say his name, extended a hand out for Alena to take. She refused, standing up herself with no help. He looked somewhat offended when she rejected the gesture, but the feeling quickly passed. He dismissed the guards, whom sauntered out of the dining hall in shame for their many mistakes.

"Are you hungry?" the king asked her.

Alena looked around, wondering what the best method of escape would be. Now that she was sure she wasn't going to be killed, she wanted to leave. The castle did not feel right to her.

Noticing she was not talking to him like he wanted, he was getting desperate. He would never admit it out lout, but he was inquisitive about her. She was new, a breath of fresh air, something different compared to the usual people (and things, for that matter) that he sees every day. Why was she being so secretive? Did she have something to hide?

"I'm Caspian," he finally introduced himself, as though the formalities would get her to speak to him. He just wanted her to say words; any words so that the conversation did not feel so one sided.

She refused to look at him, and for some reason, he took offense to that. Why was it so hard to get through to this girl? It was not like he was the enemy or something.

Alena began drifting away from him, and he was determined to keep her in his sights. He didn't know her, or if he could even trust her. She walked through the throngs of people, trying to find an exit. She found an archway and escaped through it with the king known as Caspian quickly behind her.

Instantly she found herself in a hallway. High walls surrounded her with torches providing the only light. The only thing she noticed right away were portraits hanging on the walls, with captions underneath as to who was in the portrait.

Caspian I, Caspian II, Caspian III…

She turned to look at the young king, who was watching her with interesting eyes. He didn't care about the party in the dining hall anymore, not since this stranger was brought to him from who-knows-where. Was she in trouble? There were so many questions, and he knew she wouldn't answer a single one of them.

"How many of you are there?" she suddenly asked.

Her voice was unexpected, soft yet at the same time, nervous. He smiled a bit and walked closer to her, slowly as though if she were to back up, it wouldn't be so obvious.

"I'm the tenth," he said while glancing up at the portraits of his ancestors.

Alena's eyes seemed to widen with interest before she turned to face him fully. "Then it is nice to meet you, Caspian the Tenth."

Her proper etiquette was showing, and practically gave her away to the prince. He, unfortunately, was not going to say anything about that just yet, considering there were other things he wanted to know before he dived into her entire life history.

"What brings you to Narnia?" he asked.

Since she decided to say something, he was hoping she would indulge him a little bit more. It is not every day a stranger ends up in the walls of Cair Paravel.

But when she didn't reply after a few minutes, Caspian was ready to give up. He should just let her leave like she clearly wanted to. It was not like he would lose any sleep over it, right?

"Do you have anywhere to go?" he asked her.

That question alone struck something inside her and she turned away from him. She had nowhere to go. Now that she thought about it, there was nowhere to go. She did not know the lands of Narnia, nor what lay outside these castle walls.

Caspian noted her fear immediately because part of him was expecting that reaction.

"There are many rooms here in Cair Paravel. You can stay here for now," Caspian replied with a smile. It might be a good thing for him to keep an eye on her, especially since he doesn't know her. His castle was the safest place for her at the moment, and she knew it. He could tell she knew it.

Not wanting to, but having no other choice, Alena nodded and accepted his offer. Perhaps she could sneak out late at night when he was asleep. It was apparent that staying here meant she was going to be watched. The Galman princess did not like to be watched, especially by strangers.

Caspian walked past her, nodding at her to follow him. "Let us find you a room then."

Alena had no choice but to agree, and the two of them ambled through the corridors silently.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: So sorry for the lack of updates! Been out of the country for the holidays but I am back! Sorry to keep you all waiting! :)**

* * *

The girl had settled into the first bedroom the pair had come across. Caspian had a feeling she wasn't interested in any others, and he had others. He had grand rooms, more spacious and open than the one she had picked. But he wasn't the one to question it.

He told Reepicheep to keep an eye on the girl, since the king was still very unsure about her. The gallant mouse was ready, and found a small nook in the corner of her ceiling on top of a wooden beam. He was perched up, invisible in the shadows.

Alena sat on the bed, looking around at her quarters. It wasn't extravagant, though it felt like her. She wanted no reminder of her home, and this room felt as cold and as empty as she felt.

Her head was swimming in thoughts. She would stay here for the night, and head out tomorrow. She felt satisfied with that.

"Would you like to explain how you ended up here?" came a very bold, yet very stern voice from some place she couldn't see.

Her head whipped back and forth, looking for someone. Yet when no one approached, she meekly called out, "Who's there?"

"It is I," came the same voice. A sound of scurrying was soon followed, and Alena noticed a dash of white slide down a column that held in her ceiling. The mouse had left his post, and climbed up the covers of Alena's bed before bowing at her, "Reepicheep."

Alena was intrigued, especially since she had never seen a talking mouse before. They don't have such creatures in Galma, which only led her to further examine him. She placed a finger against his head, and noticed the mouse did not move. It was when she curled said finger around his tail that he jolted back and pricked her finger with his small sword.

"Ouch!" Alena pulled back, watching a drop of blood escape her skin and descend into the coverlet of her bed (for now). "What was that for?"

"Pardon me, madam. The tail is a gift from Aslan, and I will protect it until my last dying breath," the mouse stood bold and upright, noticeably unfazed by the fact that he had harmed her. (Though he did not truly harm her; it was just a prick in her finger after all.)

Alena had heard all about Aslan through her studying. She never considered the lion to be real. However, due to such circumstances (like the talking mouse upon her bed), she was given all the more reason to believe whatever it was the mouse had to say, regardless of how silly it sounded or not.

"Now, I will ask again," the gallant mouse smiled, as though he wished to show the princess that he was not a threat like she seemed to assume. "What brings you to Narnia?"

Reepicheep was trying to do right for the king. Though the king only wanted her to be watched, should something happen, the mouse had more issues on his mind, such as: is the girl a threat? Is she an enemy? If not, is she an ally? Being the noble soldier that Reepicheep was, he ignored the king's request to just "keep an eye on her" and was more determined to find out more about her. He was sure King Caspian would appreciate his advances when he has something specific to report.

Alena stared at him, feeling exasperated. She was going to have to tell someone sometime, because it does give the impression that her random appearance seems very confusing to those who do not know the entire story.

She slumped on the bed (a thing her father would certain scold her for if he were here), and began talking. The words were flying out of her mouth before she had any time to think. She told the mouse about waking up to an attack, her father trying to save her and dying before her in the process, and the journey from the land of Galma to the shores of Narnia. She spoke of how the two ridiculous guards assumed she stole an artifact from the king's chambers, and how she feels as though she is not welcomed in Narnia.

As she was talking, her mind started thinking of taking her boat to Terebinthia instead. However, her father specifically said she needed to go to Narnia, not to their neighboring land. Now that Alena actually thought about it, she was confused as to why but she wasn't going to press on it.

"My dear princess," Reepicheep bowed at her at the end of her story. Though Alena did not specifically say she was a reigning ruler of Galma, from the way she had spoken in the story, it did not take a genius to put the story together as to who she is exactly. "I am terribly sorry for that great loss."

Alena was sick of apologies at this point, but she nodded in appreciation to the mouse. He had listened to her for an hour after all.

"You must rest, your highness. It has been quite a day," Reepicheep smiled at her and his sword was placed back into its sheath against his furry side. Alena felt alleviated that she was deemed no longer a risk to the mouse (since he had exposed great caution around her), and her body was welcoming the very word 'rest'.

She nodded as the mouse began to scamper off of her bed toward the door. Reepicheep turned around to wish the princess goodnight, but in the short span it took for him to climb down the bed and make it to the door, the Galman princess had found herself in a slumber.

The mouse only smiled, for he knew she was exhausted, and he squeezed himself underneath the crack of the door and found himself in the corridors of the castle that he knows like the back of his tail.

He darted up the walls and over the light fixtures (which contained nothing but candles at this time of night), and found King Caspian in the library. The library was one of the rooms that were still under construction, since the rebuilding of Cair Paravel is still very new. After the battle between the Narnians and the Telmarines, with many casualties on both sides, Caspian decided to abandon his Uncle Miraz's castle and make a home for himself at Cair Paravel, where the kings and queens of old had once resided. It seemed fitting for him, and because of his win against the Telmarines, the Narnians were encouraged to come out of hiding. Slowly yet surely, Narnia was becoming Narnia again.

The library only had two fully stocked bookshelves, though there were other bookshelves pressed against the wall that were sparse with books. Caspian had servants who would go to Miraz's castle and bring back as many books as possible. Their journeys sometimes led them off the beaten path and they found books in abandoned huts and cabins from past Narnians. Caspian's library was not a priority of the rooms to finish, though he welcomed any new book with open arms. He liked to learn about new things, new creatures, new places, whatever he could fill his mind with.

There were velveteen armchairs set about, and a small sofa seated before a grand fireplace. The windows were high, half hidden behind the bookshelves. The sky had darkened which forced Caspian to illuminate the candles that were placed about the room. There was a rug on the floor, dated and worn, but regal in essence. The stone walls were a charcoal gray that matched the floors. A tarnished oak table stood in the center of the room, containing a few candles and several piles of books. One look at the library would have one to believe it is not part of a castle, for it appeared cold and cluttered. It did not look grand and open, spacious and lively like most castle libraries do.

And, if Caspian were being honest, he liked it that way.

Reepicheep hurried in through the open door (that was merely open just a crack but he was a mouse after all), and climbed up the center table. Caspian had his back turned, and was looking at the bindings of the books that were seated in neat rows upon their shelves.

He wasn't looking for anything in particular. If anything, he was admiring his collection thus far. He heard the mouse, which was not unusual since Caspian had developed somewhat of a sixth sense in mouse form when it came to Reepicheep. The two got along very well, and Caspian considered Reepicheep to be one of his most trusted soldiers. Though the mouse was small, he packed quite a mean kick when forced to.

"Her name is Alena," Reepicheep spoke warmly to the back of Caspian. He noted the king had hunched his shoulders at the name, as though he were somewhat relieved to have it. No more guessing and wishing, though the king did wish the girl would have opened up to him rather than Reepicheep. No matter though, there will be plenty of time for that later. (He hoped.)

Caspian turned around when Reepicheep spoke of the name. It was familiar to him, and his mind was reeling to place it. He stared at the mouse, beckoning for more answers without saying anything, and thankfully the mouse knew how to read his king well.

"Princess Alena," Reepicheep said. His voice was now much quieter, as though he were in fear that he would be overheard. This wasn't something that the other constructs of the palace needed to know. Reepicheep and Caspian had their secrets, and the mouse felt that is what bonded them. He was truly loyal to his king, and would do anything to continue to prove that.

"Where is she from?" Caspian asked in the same quiet tone.

Reepicheep then spent the next few minutes relaying Alena's story to the king. Caspian's facial expressions had shown through, mostly confused then a bit angry (when Reepicheep got to the part about his ridiculous palace guards mistaking Alena for a thief) back to the sense of relief again. She was safe with him, whether she knew it or not.

But now Caspian was on a mission. Someone (or something) had destroyed Galma for an intended purpose. Who (or what) was it? And why?

Reepicheep seemed to be on the same page as well. His mousey eyebrow was arched up in a fighting look, and could just as well read Caspian's mind.

"Take a boat to Galma," Caspian told his faithful companion, who was already nodding at the prospect of investigating. Though Reepicheep had more fight in him than detective, he liked to look around and examine areas for clues. (Especially since old Narnian homes are being found, and what those homes had contained from times passed.)

"Take a couple warriors with you. We don't know what kind of trouble got left behind," Caspian spoke easily, and Reepicheep was on his little feet with excitement.

Caspian felt he owed it to Alena to find out what happened to her home and her family. Considering his preposterous guards had mistaken her for a thief, and the fact that he had apologized for that, this seemed like a better option in order to have a clean slate with her.

Though he didn't understand why he was trying so hard. He didn't expect Alena to stay one more night in his palace anyway, regardless of what he finds in the ruins of Galma.

However, he liked this option. Perhaps when she finds out what he had done, she would be encouraged to stay. Narnia isn't all fun and pleasant. There are some horrid creatures out there, and if she was from Galma, she would have no idea what she would be getting herself into if she ventures out to other parts of the country with no one to guide her.

And, if Alena was the last princess of Galma (or perhaps the last Galman overall), then should it be Caspian's responsibility to make sure she remains alive and cared for? She is in his territory now, which makes her his accountability.

Reepicheep scurried off the table at an alarming rate, ready to take these new duties to the fullest. He was faithful when it came to posts like this, because he did his best and his best made him the best.

"Oh, and Reep."

The mouse had turned around, obviously intrigued that he was being called for yet again. Every mission Reepicheep receives made him happy, because it was what he lived for. He lived to serve his king.

"Yes, your highness."

Caspian had turned back to his band of books, scanning the binds of them once more. They were mostly books that his teacher, Professor Cornelius, had handed down to him when he was just a young boy, and Caspian held them very dear to his heart since, at the time, the contents in such books were forbidden to Narnia (even though said books were about Narnia).

"Tell no one what we're doing," Caspian spoke quietly, yet his tone was oozing with charisma.

This was a private situation that would only involve a handful of people (and of course, a mouse), and nobody else needed to be a part of it. A situation like this needs to be treaded carefully in case something wrong happened.

Reepicheep nodded bravely before bowing down to King Caspian. He disappeared moments later, leaving Caspian alone.

It was a quiet night as Caspian put the books away. He blew out the candles before leaving the library and shutting the light, elm door shut until he heard the entry click in place.

Tomorrow was a different day, and he was anxious to see what the day would bring. He was also anxious to see that, when he woke up, a certain Galman princess decided to stay for a while. With her ruined home, she had nowhere else to go. And King Caspian of Narnia would make sure she was safe, no matter what protests the princess gives.


	5. Chapter 5

There was smoke. Heavy smoke filled up the room. There were screams, people crying out from the horror of their home being destroyed. The black smoke impaired her vision and she could not see her arm out in front of her.

She tried to grab something, anything to help her through the treacherous blanket of smoke, but there was nothing in front of her. Her voice, paralyzed in fear, was frozen as she tried to form syllables. She stumbled, falling on her knees while the smoke swirled in and out of her lungs. She couldn't save herself.

She woke up suddenly, sitting up in a frantic form. Looking around, she breathed heavily from relief when she noticed there was no smoke. There was no one screaming. All was well.

It was light outside; dawn was breaking over the horizon. Dim daylight poured through her windows as she slipped out of bed. She walked over to the window and looked outside, to give herself a peace of mind that everything was just as it should be.

Her nightmare was all the more proof that she needed. Now she knew she had to leave.

Stepping out of her bedroom, she walked down the corridor. She was hoping she would run into the king, just idly walking around, but she knew that was a long shot. She didn't want to leave without saying goodbye. It really was the least she could do.

"Excuse me, milady."

Alena jumped at the sudden voice, almost wanting to scold it for snapping her out of the trance that she had just now realized she was in. Leaping back, she looked down. It was a brown mouse, staring up at her with big black eyes.

"You stepped on my tail," the small mouse had said.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," Alena said while kneeling down to him.

The mouse replied by bowing to her. "It is alright. I should have watched where I was going."

The mouse reminded her so much of Reepicheep, despite being smaller in size and a different color altogether. Though Alena found it unusual, it being another talking mouse, she knew she should not be surprised. Narnia is full of wonder, and she was just now beginning to see what the country had to offer. Part of her even wanted to experience it even more.

"Have you seen King Caspian?" Alena asked the brown mouse with a soft smile.

The mouse looked deep in thought, as though he were contemplating something. "He is training outside," the mouse replied after a few minutes, "bare right and you will see him."

Alena nodded while standing up straight. Just as she was getting ready to say thank you, the small mouse had scurried off. Per the mouse's instructions, Alena found the front gates of the castle, and bore right like she was told to.

She ventured out into the open yard, and spotted him almost at once. He was sparring with a sword in hand. His opponent, an entire wooden figure, had many chips and dents carved in it.

Making her way over to him, she could see that even though he was training and sweaty, he was still quite handsome. The closer she got to him, the more she was unable to take her eyes away.

He spotted her almost immediately.

"There she is," he said with a charming smile. He relaxed as she approached him.

"I wanted to thank you for your hospitality," Alena said properly.

That feeling still lurked, the one where she could not be just Alena around him. She had to be Princess Alena. She could not drop her title, and her guard, around him that easily. Yet she found it surprising that he could, despite how she is to be nothing but a stranger to him.

"You're leaving?" he asked her.

His sword had shifted in his hands, as though it all of the sudden weighed a ton. He gripped the hilt, his fingers scanning over the lion's head. It was a constant reminder to all that was lost, and yet, all that was gained.

The girl nodded, though she did not want to dive into any specifics. She did not want him to think that she wasn't grateful for the kindness, because she was. However, there was one question she had for him that still plagued her mind.

"Forgive me for intruding, but you do not look Narnian. At least, not like the Narnians I've seen so far. What exactly are you?" she asked.

Her eyes were alight with curiosity, and she hoped she didn't offend him.

Caspian only smiled while pointing the tip of his sword over to a few other swords in a pile by the castle wall. "Do you spar?" he asked her in return.

The Galman princess only nodded before adding, "A little."

"Then let's play a game."

The king went over to the pile of swords and selected one at random. He had many in his arsenal, but it was the sword with the lion's head hilt that he was most fond of, and he often used it in combat or training. It meant a great deal to him. Selecting a blade, he handed it carefully to Alena, who accepted it.

"A game?" she asked him incredulously.

That was hardly the right demeanor of a king. Kings don't play games, do they? Was this a customary thing? She was greatly confused about the situation, though Caspian seemed adamant about it.

The king laughed softly at her reaction before nodding. "If you pin me, I will answer one of your questions. If I pin you, then you have to answer one of mine," he explained while readying his sword at her.

Alena blinked in response and wanted to ask him more questions that plagued her mind about this interesting game. She opened her mouth to speak but Caspian lunged at her. She raised her weapon, blocking the attack.

It was not customary for princesses of Galma to know how to swordfight. Galma was already a peaceful state, and there was no need to learn. However, King Oaison, Alena's father, wanted her to learn and often taught her a few tricks of the trade. He felt she would need some knowledge with how to handle a sword. She was not a novice, and her sword clashed with Caspian's to prove it.

He was surprised at how well she was able to handle herself, and he went just a little harder. Alena retaliated by swiping the sword at his head, which he promptly ducked before she had him pinned against his wooden partner.

"I'll ask again," the princess said. There was a trace of a smile on her face. Caspian could tell she was enjoying this. "What exactly are you?"

The king realized he went easy on her, for there was no way she was able to stick him down so soon in the game. Therefore, it made the game that much more exciting. Considering the fact that they both had equal amounts of training, and could both handle a sword very well, it was going to be quite an interesting battle.

"I'm a Telmarine," he spoke while shoving her off.

"A Telmarine is the king of Narnia? How did that happen?" Alena asked in surprise.

It was one of those answers that she had not expected, and now that she heard it, it seemed like the most obvious response to her question. She had not heard much about Narnia. Her father had told her it was nothing but a vast wasteland. With a small frown on her face, she was beginning to wonder why her father had to lie to her. Narnia was full of lush trees and life, and was nothing like the way King Oaison had described.

Caspian smiled while raising his sword to strike. Alena blocked the attempt, and the two clashed their blades together in a fit of fun, though Alena was pushing to win another answer, particularly to the question she had just asked.

In her haste to power over him, he had her pressed against the trunk of a tree in mere seconds. The grin on his face was all Alena needed to see. He was enjoying himself as well, and she began to wonder why she agreed to this. However, she wanted to know about him, just like he wanted to know about her.

Alena relaxed a bit, though she still kept a firm grip on her sword. She was calculating the exact moment to pounce.

"Why do you want to leave?" Caspian asked the girl. She was helpless to the question, and he was curious. What better way than to use this opportunity and find out why he felt so abhorred around her?

He understood that his guards mistaking her for a thief would have some ill effect on her, but he offered her an apology. He offered her a room. Why, after all of that, did she want to leave when it was apparent that she had nowhere else to go? Part of him felt somewhat guilty; perhaps he was not making her feel as though she belonged. Despite where she came from, and how vastly different the Narnian and Galman cultures were, Caspian didn't care. He was not going to let the lost Galman princess out of his sight, for any reason.

Alena was shocked by the question he had chosen to ask. He could have asked anything, and he chose that particular question. She dropped the sword, hearing it thump gently on the ground as she kept her eyes on him. She was defeated. She was defeated because she did not know the answer to that question. And she was angry. She was angry because she actually did know.

"Because this is not my home," she spat at him.

Alena pushed the king off of her, who in a form of overpower, also let go of his sword while he watched her. She walked past him, huffing from sheer irritation. Caspian grabbed her arm, pulling her back and holding her in place. Rage was swimming in her eyes as she stared at him.

"Then make it your home," Caspian growled at her with equal annoyance.

His tone, the words coming out of his mouth, it was too much for her. She jerked her arm out of his grip, unable to say anything. She wasn't sure she even knew what to say anyway. It was not that easy, to just make a random home in a strange land. How would he know what that was like?

She turned on her heels, and began storming off. Caspian, realizing his mistake and how off-putting he came across, followed her immediately.

"Alena, wait."

The princess came to a screeching halt, and turned around. Her long, blonde hair whipped back in the wind. She was starting to wish she had kept her sword. She felt threatened.

"How do you know my name? I never told you," she replied.

There was venom in her voice. Caspian was digging himself into a deeper hole, but he didn't care. He would climb up to the surface eventually. Right now, the girl did not have anywhere to go. And Reepicheep was not back yet with the preliminaries from the torn land of Galma.

Alena waited, but suddenly, her eyes lit up. "The mouse told you."

She started walking toward the castle again, leaving the king behind. He jogged to reach her, and grabbed her arm once more; mimicking the same movement he had done earlier. Only this time, he kept a firm grip on her, so that even if she wanted to break free, his strength would be no match for her. Not this time, now that he was prepared.

"Your home is ruined. Destroyed. And you have nowhere else to go."

Caspian's voice was soft and far less intimidating than it was earlier. His voice actually soothed her, and the anger was slowly evaporating from her eyes. Instead, he could see traces of sadness pool around her pupils, taking anger's place.

"Give Narnia a chance. Give Cair Paravel a chance. One week, that is all I'm requesting. If you don't like it, you can leave."

Negotiation was never Caspian's strong suit. The tactic was more fitting for King Edmund, though he knew the king of old was far away from the land of Narnia, and would be of no help.

However, Alena was contemplating the thought. He was right; she had nowhere else to go.

Slowly, Caspian let go of the girl, and to his relief, she wasn't running off. Her eyes were now swimming in sadness, and the king could see how she was trying to keep it together, probably for his benefit.

"Fine. One week," she retorted in a barely audible whisper.

Caspian rolled his eyes in relief. He did not want her to go anywhere until he had some information on who (or what) had attacked Galma. It would take Reepicheep a week to return, and by then, he hoped to convince Alena to stay for good when she finds out what became of her beloved Galma.

"Let's head back," Caspian nodded toward Cair Paravel, still being built but still as brilliant as ever.

Alena nodded, since she had a lot to think about. Things were changing in her life, and she had to welcome such changes. She wasn't meant to return to Galma, she knew that much. Could she really take Caspian's advice and make a home in Narnia? She has no power over the land; it could be as though she were stripped of her title. On second thought, maybe that would be a good thing.

Caspian smiled in response, and both the reigning sovereigns of respected countries made the short trek back to Cair Paravel; one hoping to welcome a change in environment, and the other hoping to encourage the change taking place.


	6. Chapter 6

It was the first day in the list of seven days that bounded Alena's promise to Caspian. She was a woman of her word, and would stay in the allotted time. Plus, it gave her a reason to further explore Narnia for the time being. It was a foreign country, with foreign creatures, and she was excited to see what else was offered.

Today though, and being the curious girl that she was, she wanted to spend her first official day in Narnia by exploring the grounds that she was to inhabit over the course of the next seven days.

First on her list was the castle.

The castle itself seemed hundreds of years old, though it was still being built. She knew there was a story behind it, because she could feel the history that enriched her pores as she walked down hall after hall, opening any doors that were not locked. Most of the rooms she came across were bed chambers, probably for the loyal people who pledged allegiance to their king. Other rooms consisted of parlors, and there was one spacious room with only a round table and chairs occupying it. There were also other sparse rooms strewn about as though they did not know what their purposes were yet.

At the end of one of the halls, she came to a pair of double doors. They were painted white with gold trimmings. It looked elegant, and enhanced her curiosity further. Clicking the gold knobs and finding the doors were not locked, she pulled the doors opened. It required a lot of strength because the wooden doors, which looked light as a feather, were actually very heavy like they were made of stone.

The Galman princess stepped inside, her worn shoes pitting against the floor with each step. She looked around, admiring her surroundings.

In her attempt to become acquainted with the surroundings, she found one thing worth looking closer at. Seated on a raised platform at the edge of the room was a golden chair. It was magnificent in size and shape, and unlike anything in Galma. The seating was plush red velvet though it was not worn. The chair has not been used, probably ever. Perched on the chair was something else. Upon further inspection, Alena noticed it was a crown. It shimmered in gold, adorned with colorful gems that she had never seen before.

It was Caspian's crown.

The craftsmanship was divine, and Alena climbed onto the platform for a better look. It was a symbol of Caspian's status to the country of Narnia, yet the princess has never seen him wear it. She almost doubted its existence had she not seen it up close.

The gems were bright and unique, purple and green in color surrounded by smaller, more defined gems of a color Alena could not describe. She kneeled down, just looking at it. Why doesn't the king wear it? Could it be that he is ashamed? It was a beautiful piece, and it deserved to be on display of the man who so rightfully earned it.

"What are you doing?!"

A booming voice was loud enough to make her jump in fright. She was unaware that she wasn't alone and turned around to see who shared the room with her. That was when she locked eyes with two half-men, half-horse creatures.

Centaurs.

At the moment, she was more curious about the beings before her than the crown with peculiar jewels.

Their eyes were angry and she knew she was deemed a threat because their swords were pointing right at her. One centaur was all black in color though his eyes were the fiercest gold. The other was significantly smaller, terracotta in color, and had swirling gray eyes. They were, as Alena would guess, the guards of the room, perhaps the guards of the crown in general. This was not good.

"I was just getting familiar with the castle," Alena had replied. Her voice sounded meek and trembled a bit with fear. She had never seen a centaur up close and personal (and until very recently, did not believe they existed). She was in the dark as to their manners on strangers, and wished she brushed up more about creatures such as them back at Galma.

"Get the king," the black centaur spoke to the terracotta one, who took off in a brisk run out of the room. The black centaur raised his sword. "No one but the king is welcomed in here," he harshly spoke.

Alena stared in horror and her mind was already settling on the decision to wait for Caspian. She could explain everything; explain her mistake and why she ventured off into apparently forbidden territory.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Alena put her hands up in defense, giving into surrender.

The centaur appeared unpleased at her attempt to keep things calm, and did not welcome her apology. He responded by slashing the sword at her. She jumped back and felt the heavy sword slice through the hem of her worn Galman dress. The garment, fortunately, held itself together as Alena dived out of the way from another blow.

She ducked behind the throne in an endeavor to find safety but the black centaur grabbed her by the foot and pulled her out into the open. He raised the girl so that she was just a few inches off of the ground, and drew his sword back for the final strike. She closed her eyes, determined not to see when it happens.

"STOP!"

She clattered to the floor and used her hand to break her fall. She fell on it and collapsed at a weird angle, and heard a small snap. She inhaled a sharp intake of breath from the pain while shuffling to lie on her back. Caspain was standing in her peripheral vision, looking as angry as ever.

The rage in his eyes was so brutal that Alena had to look away. As she scrambled to her feet, cradling her injured wrist, she remained staring down at the ground until she heard his voice again.

"Get out," the king mumbled in a low yet very serious whisper.

Alena shuffled to the doorway, ready to take her leave. The moment she made a single step past Caspian, he grabbed her by the arm. The princess pulled back, whimpering in pain since he had grabbed the injured part of her. Caspian didn't seem to notice.

"Not you," Caspian said reverently.

Taking a chance, the young girl glanced at the king who was boldly staring at the black centaur.

"But your highness, she is a thief," the centaur's accusations caused Alena to inhale sharply.

The Galman princess was now the one getting angry. She was never going to redeem herself for the guards' mistake, was she? Why was Caspian the only one who truly believed her innocence? Shouldn't his loyal followers also agree with his stance? She was getting more annoyed just by thinking about it.

"She is a guest!" Caspian's voice boomed, protruding Alena out of her thoughts. "Get out."

She kept her eyes on Caspian, who did not look at her. A staring match must have enthused between the king and the centaur because she did not hear the centaur's hooves against the floor until minutes later. She felt the fur of the centaur brush past her and watched out of the corner of her eyes as the creature disappeared from the room.

Caspian was slowly calming down and he turned around to shut the doors. It was just Alena and Caspian in the private walls of the coronation room.

"What are you doing in here?" Caspian asked her. His voice was even and relaxed now that the threat was gone.

"I thought I would get to know the castle, since I will be living here for the next seven days," Alena answered easily. She was still a bit irritated at being called a thief – yet again – but the feeling was quickly passing.

There was a trace of a smile on Caspian's lips as he finally spun around to look at her. "I assume this situation does not give you much reason to consider staying," he replied.

Alena was relieved at his sudden mood change. It had unperturbed her considerably. "Still thinking about it," the princess said.

That was when Caspian grinned. Alena felt lightheartedness swell up inside of her. It was good to see him smile again. It was a real smile, like he actually did find the change of the situation to be okay now. The change of mood was exactly what the two of them needed.

"I suppose I am going to have to try harder to convince you," Caspian responded.

It was silent after that, with Caspian walking toward his throne. He stepped up onto the platform and looked at his crown. He hadn't worn it since Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were in his domain. It seemed so long ago, the war. He had become quite attached to Susan, and was displeased when she had to leave, but he understood. Narnia was not her home, not like he wanted it to be. He couldn't change that and he let her go peacefully with no regrets.

Alena had sat down on the platform, being mindful of her injured hand, as she continued to look at him. "What was that day like?" she questioned.

It took Caspian a couple of minutes to realize she meant his coronation day and not the day Susan left. After a few moments, he sat down next to her as his mind flashed back to that day. "I was nervous," Caspian said with a smile.

Alena laughed lightly, nodding in reply. She had an idea what a coronation day would be like, though she did not have much experience of her own on that department because she wasn't coronated herself.

"People have expectations for a king. It was difficult to make all of my people happy. It was even more difficult to be accepted. A Telmarine as a Narnian king was not a welcomed idea at the time," he explained.

He had not spoken of that day since it happened. No one except High King Peter knew how Caspian felt about his coronation. However, he was going to change that. It was going to be no one except High King Peter and Princess Alena of Galma.

"I was raised believing there were no such things as Narnian creatures, that they were all wiped out hundreds of years ago. My father was killed by my uncle, which put him in the place as king. However, when he died, the title would be passed onto me. He had a son eventually, and felt I wasn't needed anymore and tried to kill me. I escaped into the land of Narnia, and came across all of the creatures that I believed to be fiction. There was a battle between the Telmarines and Narnia. I fought alongside the Narnians. We won with the help of Aslan, and Narnia was back in the possession it belonged. But then, Aslan wanted me to be king. And I didn't think I was ready," Caspian spoke as open and as freely as possible while thinking about the day of his coronation, the day it all became real.

* * *

_He stared out of the window, looking over at the land before him. Soon, this would all be his. The very thought scared him. Could he be a great king to these people? Could he give them what they wanted? What they needed? He was worried that he wouldn't be enough, that Narnia would be better off with a true Narnian king._

_There was a knock on the door and he turned around to see the being that walked in. To his relief, it was High King Peter. "Are you ready?" Peter asked. He was dressed royally in traditional Narnian regal robes. His crown was atop his head to complete the look of a true king._

_Caspian turned back to the window. His thoughts were not yet done._

_"Worried, huh?" Peter asked._

_The would-be king nodded in reply before turning to look at the young High King. Peter was so boyish and young, yet he had wisdom beyond his years._

_"Don't be. You deserve to be king," Peter said. His voice was charismatic, and there was no fault in it._

_"Will I be good enough for them? Can I truly represent the Narnian community? I'm worried that I won't be what they need. I lived my whole life believing they didn't exist, yet they did this whole time. That's not exactly a good start," Caspian explained. It felt good to vent to someone who has been through it before, even if it was quite a few years ago._

_Peter walked over to the window, looking out at the land like Caspian has been doing. It was a beautiful land, more full of life now than when he first arrived the second time. And when Peter leaves, it is going to be up to Caspian to continue to take care of the land._

_"It's not the start that matters," Peter replied easily with a smile, "it's how it ends. And it ends with you being crowned King of Narnia."_

_And that was it. Those were the words that Caspian needed to hear. His Uncle Miraz was killed, and his aunt went back to Telmar with the baby. Telmar was defeated in the war, thanks to him. Telmar retreated back to their own country, also thanks to him._

_"Do you think I would make a good king?" Caspian asked, wanting Peter's opinion for the final time._

_There was a smirk against the High King's lips before he spoke freely, "Well, you won't be as good as me."_

_Caspian laughed and, oh it felt good to laugh. He was the true king of Narnia, and he needed that final push from Peter. "Come on, everybody is waiting. It's time to crown you king."_

_With no more words spoken between the pair, they exited the room together as allies, as friends, and made way to the impending coronation, where the future of Narnia shall begin._

* * *

Alena listened to his story, her eyes were bright at the words that left his mouth. It felt amazing to see this vulnerable side to him, and it was exactly what she needed to see. "I think you happen to be a great king," Alena retorted.

Caspian turned to look at her with a warming smile. He had not told anybody what he and Peter talked about that night. However, it felt good that she knew. For some reason, he was already starting to gain trust toward the princess, even more so now that he told her the story of his coronation.

"I have lived in the dark about Narnia for so long. I want to prove myself worthy," he told her.

"You already are worthy, Caspian. You brought Narnia out of a dark age. Peter was right, you do deserve this."

Things might not be so great in Alena's life right now, but things were in Caspian's. In fact, should Alena choose to admit it, she was already warming up to the king. Now that she has seen who he is and where he comes from, she understands. There was no need to harbor ill feelings toward him when he was just trying to help. It was not his fault that Galma is in ruins. All he did was save her.

"Anyway, back on point. You wanted to see the castle, and I hope you saw enough. I want to take you somewhere else," Caspian stood up and held his hand out to the girl.

She took his hand and he pulled her up. With a sharp intake of breath, Alena pulled back. She forgot all about her injured wrist and it felt like daggers just moving it.

"Are you okay?" Caspian looked concerned as he placed a hand at the small of her back to keep her steady.

"Never get into a fighting match with a centaur," Alena said with a soft smile, though there were noticeable traces of pain on her face.

Caspian gingerly took hold of her wrist, gauging her reaction in case he made the mistake of hurting her even further. "I'll take you to the infirmary first." He guided her out of the room; being mindful of her hand should it bump against anything and cause her more pain. "Then we will go somewhere I think you will like."

Alena nodded and followed Caspian, feeling safe in her care. She didn't find the infirmary when she was exploring earlier, but she would rather have Caspian show her than go alone.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Just wanted to take a quick second to say thank you to those who have reviewed, favorited, and added Perpetual Infallibility to their alerts! You guys are the best!**

* * *

The trip to the infirmary was short since there was not much to be done. She was given some medicine for the pain and her arm was tied up in a sling for added elevation. The doctor, a small dwarf-like creature (which was yet another curious being in Alena's eyes) stated her wrist was fine, not broken like Alena's original assessment was. It was, however, sprained and just needed to be healed naturally with time.

The sling was not exactly comfortable though Alena knew she could get used to it. After the short trip to the infirmary, Caspian led Alena to the stables where several horses were residing.

"Can you ride?" Caspian asked her.

He began to unhitch the horses from their posts and lead them out into the open. One of the horses was vanilla in color with a white diamond in the middle of its forehead. The other was a caramel color that faded into a chocolate brown. The tip of its tail was frayed, suggesting some type of accident. It was the most beautiful horse Alena had ever seen and her eyes lit up brightly as she approached the hoofed creature.

Caspian stood back to watch her, a trace of a smile on his face. "Her name is Azalee. Do you like her?"

Alena reached out, touching the caramel fur. Her fingertips ran across the horse gently, wanting to gain its trust. "She's beautiful," Alena replied. Azalee nuzzled against Alena's neck as though she heard and approved of the compliment.

"Then she's yours," Caspian said nonchalantly, like it wasn't unusual to just give a horse away every day.

Alena gapped at his offer, shaking her head and dismissing the thought immediately. "I refuse to take her," she said in shock.

She never had anyone give her a gift such as that, even if she was Galman royalty. It was uncustomary to accept gifts from the people one reign over, even more so from another sovereign. That was why Galma held onto its independence for so long. In Galma, gifts were considered favors and favors were normally always returned and recollected. She did not want to be in the king's debt, especially when she had nothing to give in return.

Galma was a peaceful state, to the point where only gifts pertaining to coalitions were allowed. The country had not been to war in a long, long time because it was in an alliance with other countries. Until now, that is. With Galma torn, the princess couldn't help but wonder sometimes which country overtook it.

Narnia, however, was not one of the countries in alliance with Galma, and Alena would be lying if she said she hadn't considered her new home to be the one to attack her old home.

Caspian had expected the reaction coming from Alena, and he approached her. "You will take her," he stated matter-of-factly.

She knew exactly what he was doing. He was using his status of king to get her to agree to this. Honestly, who just gives a random girl a horse?

The horse nudged Alena gently, practically pushing the princess into the way of the king. He stood before her, tall and bold, while still keeping an entertained stance to show he was intending to be playful, though he wasn't going to make it easy for her.

Alena only smirked and shook her head. Two can play that game.

"Galmans do not accept gifts," she replied just as easily. There was a twinkle in Caspian's eyes that was hard to miss.

Azalee neighed lightly and Alena could swear that the horse knew what was going on. And with a shake of her mane, Alena could swear the horse was enjoying it.

"It is not a gift," the king spoke proudly. He grinned, and it was a grin that suggested he knew his way around the situation.

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"A peace offering."

She blanched, completely caught off guard by that, and her expression showed it. It appeared that the king of Narnia brushed up on Galman history.

Caspian enjoyed her speechlessness and handed the reins to Azalee. She stared at him, wanting to be mad but she was actually impressed.

She mounted the horse, which was easier than expected while only using one arm. Caspian followed suit, perched on his horse, the vanilla one which she did not know the name of, and looked at her.

"Consider Narnia officially in association with Galma," the king retorted with a proud smile.

Every attempt he tried to make toward her was all in conviction that she should stay. Though there were still a few days in the supposed week left to go, he was already hoping he was tipping the scales in her favor. Narnia would be good to her.

"How shall we commence this new association?" Alena asked. She was petting Azalee, who was enjoying the attention.

"Follow me. I promise the ride won't be long, but warn me if we need to make any stops," he spoke, noting Alena's injury. She was riding with one hand after all.

She balanced herself on the horse and was surprised to find how easy it was. Caspian stat on his horse close by just in case, but he wasn't needed as Alena straightened out. "So where are we going?" she asked him.

He noticed a sense of confidence in her voice and he smiled at the recognition of it. He was seeing glances of who Alena really was as a person, and the regal wall that she put up around him was slowly crumbling. Perhaps with enough force, it would fall completely.

"We are going somewhere I think you will like," Caspian explained. He caught the girl rolling her eyes at him and his smile appeared even brighter.

"You told me that already. I want a new hint," Alena stated boldly.

Her head was tossed back in such an awkward manner, as though she were declaring power over the Narnian king. Caspian laughed at her, to which Alena couldn't help but join in with a few giggles of her own.

"Don't do that, that doesn't work for you," the king told her gently. He gripped the reins of his horse and Alena followed suit.

"I know. That felt very unnatural," she told him in response.

"It looked very unnatural," he nodded, agreeing with her.

She smirked while sticking her tongue out at him and Caspian gasped. His eyes widened as he placed a hand over his heart while trying very hard not to smile. "You dare defy your king?" his voice was playfully vicious. A smile was breaking through now and the faux persona he attempted to adopt was being whittled away.

"You are not my king," Alena spoke freely. There was an equal sense of balance on her features, a real smile that Caspian recognized another blow to her defensive wall. The real Alena, from the glimpses he has seen so far, surpasses the royal Alena in many ways.

"I could have you executed for saying that," Caspian gauged her reaction, hoping he didn't take it too far while remembering Alena's arrival from his stupid guards.

"Well, in that case," she said and the king braced himself for impact, "you will have to catch me first." She ushered her horse onto the path, riding it freely despite having no idea where she was supposed to go. Caspian was astonished by her reaction and he smiled as he took off after her.

* * *

It was a short ride, perhaps no more than an hour or two. Caspian eventually did catch her, since he ended up leading the way. They came to a field surrounded by trees and he dismounted his horse. He made his way over to Alena and helped the princess off. Her injured arm was throbbing slightly from the galloping and bouncing around, but she ignored it.

"This is the place?" Alena asked, wanting to make sure.

It was certainly beautiful, the way the sun was peeking through the branches which bathed the leaves in a glittering light. There were flowers on the trees as well, pinks and whites, as they dotted the golden glow of the sun. She could get used to the idea of coming out here, sitting down, and just escaping the world for a while.

Caspian led Alena to the middle of the clearing, away from the horses as the two creatures began to graze in the field. He turned to face her, a smile on his features. "We are going to dance," the king said while holding his hand out to her.

Her eyes widened while looking at him in slight confusion. "You brought me out here to dance?"

He internally laughed at her reaction and nodded. "Trust me."

She reached for his hand mere seconds after that. She did trust him and she now became aware of that. She didn't remember the exact thing he said, the exact thing he did, the exact moment it happened, but she trusted him now. After everything so face, she had no reason not to.

His hand gripped hers tightly while pulling her in close. He wrapped an arm around her waist affectionately, minding the injured arm that was pressed against her in its sling. Instantly Alena was relaxed, and he slowly swayed with her.

The pair moved in a small circle. She rested her hand along the crevice of his collarbone. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, she didn't dare try. The petals from the flowers up above sprinkled down on them, but the Galman princess wasn't paying attention. Her eyes continued to lock on his as a sense of comfort swelled up inside her. She was comfortable with him, with Narnia.

Caspian was also at ease. If she had decided to leave Cair Paravel the second she entered the castle, who knows what would have happened to her right now?

"Look around," he replied with a smile.

Alena watched his eyes for a split second longer, wanting to so desperately read the emotion that was in them. She wanted to know what was going on through his mind, and unlock the mystery that seemed to be the enigma of Caspian. But when she tore her eyes off of him, she was in awe by what she was now seeing.

The petals have taken the form eerily similar to that of humans, and the new personages were swirling around through the air, as though dancing with the two royals. They were gentle yet lively, and Alena was in wonder by the sight.

"What are they?" she asked while looking back at Caspian.

"They're called dryads. And I think they like you," he replied back with a smile.

Narnia was becoming more and more incredible with each passing day, and soon, Alena knew she would have no choice but to accept and stay. Caspian didn't have to take her here; he didn't have to show her the wonder of the dryads. Yet he did, and Alena could not forget something like that.

She slipped out of Caspian's grip to better watch the dryads as they danced around the two of them. Their movements mimicked those of a human, and Alena could not look away. The petals swam through the breeze, circling around. It was beautiful.

He stood there watching her, knowing he made the right choice to show her this place. Dancing Lawn was appropriately named in times like these, and he was glad the dryads felt comfortable escaping their trees now that the war was over and Narnia was back to life again. The look on Alena's face was exactly the reaction he was hoping for, and he was hoping this situation was yet another attack on her defensive wall. The real Alena cannot hide for much longer, and he knew he was going to get to her soon.

"Tell me about your father."

The words left his mouth so fluidly that he practically regretted them once they escaped. Her eyebrows rose in a delicate manner, and he was hoping he was not overstepping his boundaries and giving her time to mend her defensive wall after all that time he spent protruding it.

"He was a great man," Alena replied with a warm smile in remembrance at the thought. She tried to remember the good apart from the bad, because when it came to King Oaison, there was hardly anything bad about him. "He cared about his people, and he gave his life to make sure I was safe."

It hurt to talk about that, but at this point, Alena had to start considering the possibility of moving on. She was all alone in the world now, she didn't have anyone.

"I think he made the best choice," Caspian said right after her, and even he was taken aback by how little control he had over his mouth today.

"Thank you for bringing me here," Alena replied with a smile. It was a good thing, this place, because it took her mind off of everything and she could appreciate the world a little bit more without having to worry about anyone. She had to get used to the idea that Narnia was going to be her new home, and she could not deny that much any longer.

Caspian nodded, his smile somewhat faltered but still bright. He was breaking her down and he hoped that he didn't get to the point where he pushed her too far that she completely shut him out. There was just something about her that made him curious, that made him want to explore her even further.

He walked over to the girl, mimicking the same move earlier by putting an arm gently around her waist, minding the injured arm that was curled against her. And he went back to dancing with her in the middle of Dancing Lawn with the beautiful dryads swimming through the air around them.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a new day, though according to the Caspian Calendar, it was only the third day. He was keeping firm track over the days, knowing he did not have a lot of time. A week could go by fast if he wasn't keeping an eye out.

He was in his chambers, pacing back and forth. He was starting to think about Reepicheep and he hoped the journey was faring out well. The mouse would be back soon, hopefully with news. Though the king knew it was not going to be good news, it might help the girl receive some clarity. He knew if it were him, he would want a peace of mind, to help him accept the situation and move on. He just hoped the news wasn't going to be so horrible to the point where she felt no choice but to leave.

He actually was growing very fond of the girl. She was like a breath of fresh air, a new aspect to his life that only made him wait to explore her further. She was the first girl he took an interest in since Queen Susan.

Though that incident hurt, where the high queen had chosen to leave Narnia and Caspian, he wallowed in a depressive state for a while until SHE came along. Seeing her for the first time in his ballroom, during a victory party for all Narnians, he became drawn to her. Even now, he still was.

The heels of his boots clicked lightly against the stone floor as the sun poured into his room. He was contemplating doing something for her, something unlike what he has been doing so far (like taking her to Dancing Lawn). He had this obligation that he felt he should do more.

Running his hands through his hair, his mind was reeling for ideas. Why was he so drawn to her to begin with? Why did he care so much? Why did he still want her to consider staying with him? Could it be that he might…love her? Impossible, this is not what love feels like. What he feels for Alena is different than what he felt for Susan. He loved Susan, didn't he?

He fell back against his bed, staring up at his elaborate ceiling etched with Narnian symbols and completed with a lion head, the mane fanned out in the shape of a star. What would Aslan think, about the king falling in love? (If this is even considered to be love, he still wasn't clear on that.) There was so much he wanted to tell her, he just didn't know where to begin. Then again, he had no idea how she felt and thus did not want to make a fool out of himself. Who knew matters like these could be so complicated?

There was a knock on his door suddenly, and he sat up, grateful for the distraction from his neverending thoughts. He inched himself off the bed, the palpitations in his heart increasing as he hoped it would be _her_.

"Come in."

He straightened his clothes, wearing a simple dress shirt and trousers. No jacket, no robes, just his regular black boots to complete his very casual look.

The door opened, and a woman walked in, a woman who was clearly not Alena. Saddened by the sight though not making it known, he raised an eyebrow in feigned interest. "Yes?"

"Breakfast is ready, your highness." She bowed down to him and he just nodded in thanks. He was not hungry right now and the thought of food was too distant for him to grasp.

The woman turned to take her leave but Caspian spoke up quickly before she could. "Where is Princess Alena?"

The woman turned to face him, replying with a simple, "In the library, my king," before she ushered herself out of the room and shutting the door a bit loudly to ensure Caspian's privacy in his own quarters.

He looked up at the lion head carved into his ceiling, smiling a little. Advice from Aslan would be exactly what the king needed, but alas the lion has not been seen since Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy went back home. Now that he thought about it, advice from Peter would be nice too.

He looked over at the horn, sitting in an ornate glass case against the wall. It was the same horn he used to call the kings and queens of old, and it has not been used since. He walked over to it, his hand slowly reaching to grab it. It wouldn't hurt to call them. Touching the case, he opened it.

_No, Caspian_.

He froze as his mind scolded him on the spot for thinking such an idiotic thing. He didn't need their help, not for _this_. The horn was only to be used in dire emergencies, which this is not. Sighing in defeat, he closed the case, shutting the horn away where it belongs.

He was in awe at how he was thinking of such things. Normally, the answer would be obvious, but now, he is spending more focus on his thoughts like he wants everything to be perfect.

What did it matter anyway?

Leaving his chambers, he felt in good spirit. Though there was a lot to think about, he did retain some clarity. He trotted down the steps to make his way toward the unfinished library. He wasn't even sure what to say to her. Then again, he didn't quite understand why he was putting so much thought into this anyway.

The doors leading to the library were open a crack, and he pushed it open further. Elegant eyes greeted his own as he walked in. She was sitting on one of the rich velvet seats in a comfortable position while reading a book. As Caspian approached, he recognized the title. _Wood Nymphs, Faeries, and Other Narnian Creatures_ were twinkling at him in gold lettering against the brown leather cover.

She looked up at him with a smile before saying, "Did you know that Ogres are actually very intelligent? Galma always depicts them as dull individuals." Her voice was full of wonder and awe while she closed the book and used her finger to mark her place.

"I did know that," he smiled while taking a seat next to her.

He was actually impressed that Alena was reading a book such as that, pertaining to Narnian history. Maybe she truly was interested in staying and the thought was very welcoming to his psyche.

"I hope you don't mind that I'm in here," her voice poked through his thoughts and he was brought back into the brisk of reality. She adjusted her position while turning to look at him, before reaching over and setting the book down on the round table that stood in the center of the room just a few feet away.

"Why the sudden interest in Narnian history?" the king asked her.

There was a smile on the girl's face, as though Caspian had told her a joke, or she was remembering a private tale that he was not a part of. "I could ask you the same thing about Galma," she explained.

His eyes widened in response, nearly forgetting that. He forgot all about brushing up on Galman history in order to impress her, to show that he cared. Was Alena possibly doing the same thing? Did she care enough about him to learn about the land that he currently reigns over? He didn't say anything, mostly in part because he didn't want to reveal anything.

But the twinkle in Alena's eyes suggested that she knew. She knew something but Caspian knew she had no plans to reveal anything just yet.

"I was curious," Caspian tried to tip-toe around the conversation, except the Galman princess wasn't buying it.

"So was I."

She took up, raising from the plush seating and grabbed the book off of the table before putting it back in place on the bookshelf. She admired the binds of the books, reading the titles that were etched in them. Caspian watched her because he does the exact same thing some nights. He vaguely remembered being in the library on Alena's first night in the castle, the night when he told Reepicheep to go to Galma and see what happened.

"What else did you find interesting?" Caspian rose from the velveteen sofa. Now that she has taken an interest in the world around her, he wanted to know where her thoughts lay. Part of him wished she would just talk to him, but he knew with everything that happened, that it would take time.

"Apart from talking animals, everything." She reached for a different book, though she fumbled a little. She was really starting to detest the sling and felt her arm was better enough to be left alone. She made a mental note to visit the infirmary later for a follow up to see where she stood in terms of her injury.

Caspian gingerly grabbed the book she attempted to reach for, wanting to see what it was she was interested in reading about this time around. He flipped open to a random page, which happened to be the chapter containing the Great Winter and the White Witch. That was before his time, before Caspian I's time, and one of the pivotal moments in Narnian history. Edmund was brave that time. So was Lucy with her companionship in the fauns. Peter really took charge in becoming the future king, the way he refused to give up. And Susan… Caspian immediately shut the book and handed it to the Galman princess a bit more roughly than he had intended to do so.

Noticing the sudden change in demeanor, she slowly took the book out of his hand and set it aside, no longer caring for the contents that lay inside it.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, her voice dripping with concern.

He was eying the book with a look that could kill. He wanted to toss it in a lake and never see it again. He wanted no reminder of the past, not anymore, not when things were good in the present. The fact that he had not answered Alena's question was alarming, and she placed a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention.

His eyes snapped in her direction, and there was something bubbling inside of him. He didn't want to be reminded of the past, and he wanted Alena to feel that same courtesy. She was not going to be truly happy if she still held onto the past and her old life from Galma.

"You are better off, you know."

The words just left his mouth before he even had time to think about them. He didn't regret it though. He has been planning to have this conversation with Alena for quite some time. However, the look on her face suggested she was not prepared to have this discussion, giving Caspian the lead.

"Excuse me?"

Her voice was back to being authoritative. The defensive wall she built, that Caspian had tried very, very hard to break through, was mended and back up again. He had a feeling it was going to happen, and prayed that it didn't. Alena was back to being Princess Alena of Galma, and not just Alena anymore like she has been the past few days.

"You are better off without Galma." He is pushing it. He could tell.

Alena's shoulders tensed up like she was trying to bury the anger that was no doubt trying to explode out of her. How dare the king say such a thing? How dare he say she doesn't need her homeland? What happened to the nice king, the simple king, the king that took her to Dancing Lawn? What happened to the king that wanted to find out about what happened to her lost home, and how welcoming he had made her feel? Where did that king go?

"Alena."

Caspian moved swiftly toward her, reaching out to hold her by the arms. He had found this to be a very effective movement to keep her in place and to keep her from running off. She couldn't look at him, since there was rage swirling in her eyes. She did not want to be around him right now. If anything, she did not feel so welcomed anymore.

"Look at me."

His voice was back to being warm, though the girl refused to let the sound of it enrich her like it would have. She turned her head, her eyes boring into him with much more anger than she had thought.

Caspian was almost afraid to look away after seeing how she was taking it. He didn't mean it the way that she was intending it to be, and he wanted that wall to come crashing down completely. He was digging himself into a deeper hole, he knew that. But it was for her own good. Like Alena, he lost everything too, only to embrace new things and gain so much more. Losing family comes with a price, but it is not the end of the world, and Caspian was determined to show Alena the good side of it.

"You can make a home here and put Galma in the past. It is not the end of your world, it is only the beginning," Caspian explained. He stood his ground, looking at her, observing her. He was not going to back down without a fight. He is moving on from Susan and the mess she made in his heart. Alena needs to do the same with Galma in order for things to be better than ever.

And he knew she knew he was right. The look on her face, the look of defeat, was all the proof he needed. He knew what Alena was thinking, but she wasn't going to forget her home. She was just going to accept what had happened and move on. That defensive wall needs to come down, and for good.

However, the Galman princess did not want to give the Narnian king that satisfaction. She thought she could hold on to her past, but moving on was the only direction she could go in. And, because Alena still had some anger within her, she had to act it out in some way just to feel better. She raised her hand to slap him. He was right, she hated that he was right, and decided this was the best course of action she needed to do before making the necessary steps he required of her.

When her hand came down, he grabbed her by the wrist just inches before the initial collision. He understood, and he could see the wall cracking before his very eyes. Pulling her by the wrist closer toward him, there was a sense of relaxation swirling around the pair as he asked, "You dare defy your king?"

Alena let out a sigh of relief. Narnia was not so bad, and she had to work on changing her life to fit the new surroundings in place. There was more to this place than meets the eye, and Alena was curious to explore and venture out even further.

Her mind flashed back to the moment when he presented her with her horse, Azalee. They had this very same conversation, and Alena's heart thumped at how he remembered such a simple phrase like she did. It was one of those moments, though small, that really showed her what kind of person Caspian was, not what kind of king. She missed those moments, the fun, fleeting moments when she and Caspian were not regal to each other, but being who they are behind the crown.

"You are not my king," she said with a timid smile.

He smiled in return. He was glad she remembered. He felt the girl relax against him, and the fissures in the wall were becoming more and more noticeable. It was breaking, just like he wanted, just like he needed. He stared at her, a hand slipping to the curve of her waist. She said nothing, and she didn't pull back. With one fluid motion, Caspian pressed Alena against him. His lips found hers, and he kissed her. It was slow and romantic, with Alena using her good arm to wrap itself around his neck. For that moment, everything fell in place.

And in that moment, Caspian felt the defensive wall collapse.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I apologize heavily for the wait. I've been dealing with school on top of being sick. I severely hope it doesn't happen again. Thanks for sticking by me to those of you who waited patiently!**

* * *

Caspian was in his bed chambers, attempting to get ready for bed. It wasn't working very well since the king was wide awake now after the impromptu meeting in the library. He couldn't bring himself to go to sleep now, not when things were falling into place in a way he had never anticipated.

He truly never expected to fall for Alena in the way that he has, though he wasn't the type to question things. He let things go how they needed to, let the chips fall where they may. He remembered doing that with Susan. Except the Galman princess is nothing like Susan to begin with, and she was right there within arms' reach. He needed to see her again, but he did not want to appear too eager.

Calling a palace guard to summon the girl from her room, Caspian waited patiently. Maybe they should talk about what happened. He was curious to see where she stood in all of this. Did she feel the same way? Or was he over-reaching like he sometimes does?

He just needed to see her, to see if she was even interested in where this was going. He wanted to read her feelings in her eyes, and he wanted to kiss her again. Damn, did he want to kiss her again.

The door opened and his mood escalated. The guard entered the room with no princess in sight, and his mood suddenly deflated.

"Your highness, the princess is not in her room," the guard explained.

The king's eyes were piqued with interest at the words. "Then where is she?"

"I do not know, my king."

There were only a handful of places in Cair Paravel that Alena could venture off to at this time of night, so at least the options were limited. Caspian ushered himself and the guard out of his room and dismissed his loyal servant before taking matters into his own hands. He went to the library first, only to discover no presence of Alena. He changed course and departed to the throne room, remarking how inquisitive she was over his crown. She wasn't there either.

The last place on his list was the stables, considering Alena had grown very close to Azalee recently. Perhaps the princess went to confide in her horse.

The king's boots clicked against the stone floor as he moved about through the corridors, ignoring any presence that tried to stop him or talk to him. He was quick on his feet as he practically slid down the marble steps before taking the path that led to the stables. The stalls were full with their horses, some sleeping, and some eating. Upon further inspection, however, he couldn't find Azalee.

No Azalee meant no Alena.

The post guard on duty was asleep, lightly snoring away against a wooden beam while gripping a spear for protection. Caspian riled the guard awake, who frantically scrambled to his feet and pointed the pointy weapon at the king. Caspian just stared, more annoyed than amused at the moment.

The guard, realizing his mistake, lowered the spear the moment he recognized the king. That didn't curb Caspian's annoyance in the slightest.

"Where did Alena go?"

The king's voice was in a slight sense of panic as much as he tried to hide it. This was the second girl he has grown to love, and this was the second girl who walked out of his life after he initiated his feelings. He would be damned if he let her go, at least not without an explanation. He deserved one.

"She left on her horse," the sleep guard responded while stifling a yawn.

The king gapped at the obvious statement with sarcasm. "Where did she go?"

The guard leaned against his spear, as though to help support his weight so that he didn't collapse from exhaustion. Honestly, Caspian needs to pick better guards to look out for him, because he could have already hitched his horse and be on his way to find the girl before she found trouble herself.

"She said you would know, your highness," the guard replied as his heavy eyelids drew to a close. He was determined to keep them open in front of the king, but to no avail. Soon, the sleepy guard was back to sleep again in the position he was in; leaning against his spear and standing straight up. Caspian made a mental note to count the horses when (perhaps IF) he returns, considering this guard was not in the least bit trustworthy.

The king just watched his guard for a moment. How is it that when Alena was involved, the guards were just stupid? First Cydare and Bayde with their idiotic mistake on calling Alena a thief, and now it was this one who just went to sleep right before him. The notion had to make Caspian roll his eyes. Cair Paravel needed some shaping up now that he is king.

Walking into the stables, he opened the stall that was occupied by his horse, the one that was vanilla in color. As he was saddling the horse, he knew exactly where Alena had gone. Part of him even felt like he knew why but he wouldn't know for sure until he talked to her.

He mounted his horse and adjusted the reins accordingly. With a quick snap, the horse was off, and Caspian raced through the wind and the trees to find the girl he loved.

* * *

She wasn't sure what she was feeling. This was all new to her and her head could not grasp it. What was going on? She had bid goodnight to Caspian after their encounter and went back to her room. What happened between then and now? She racked her brain trying to remember.

She wanted to mentally kick herself for pulling the move that she did, that brought her to this point. But she was confused. Surely that was a good enough reason, wasn't it? Nothing like this ever happened to her on Galma. Why was Narnia and its king having this effect on her?

After the kiss, she went to her bedroom. _What happened after that, Alena? Think!_

She remembered sitting down on the bed, and she contemplated what had happened. But how did she get here? Why did her body take her here? She remembered feeling scared, not sure what to say or do. Was she embarrassed at all? No, she doesn't remember that.

Her body felt like it was carrying its own weight in lead. She looked down at her sprained arm, and clawed at the sling under it fell to the ground in a tattered mess. A sigh escaped her lips. It felt better, but not by much.

She looked around, hoping to focus her eyes on something. But everywhere she looked, she saw King Caspian's face. He was a beautiful man, and just thinking of his smile made Alena involuntarily smile in return. She was smiling at nothing, but she was happy. Like it or not, the king made her happy.

Unfortunately, that only confused her further because she is here. She is not at the castle. She ran away from Caspian and came here. Why did she come here? What was her mind trying to tell her?

She plopped down on the ground. The grass was cold and she shivered a little. She felt a push against her back, and jumped in fright at the sudden move. Alena thought she was alone, and when she turned around, she saw Azalee nudging her. Smiling, Alena pet her horse and found comfort in the fact that she wasn't as alone as she expected. The princess rested against her companion, feeling safe despite the darkness. Even the light from the full moon above her, though illuminating the area, was not making her feel as safe as her horse was.

She looked downward once more. She remembered leaving her room to go to the stables. There was a palace guard there. Did she say anything to him? She must've, otherwise why else would he let her go horseback riding in the middle of the night? The horse began to nest her head against her hooves, obviously ready for sleep.

Alena wasn't the least bit tired right now. She could not think of sleep right now, not when so many other questions plagued her mind. So she was at the stables, hitched Azalee, and rode here. That was when the answer hit her. It struck her like a lightning bolt and she gasped for breath. It all made sense now.

Her body carried her here for one reason and one reason only; she was in love with the king.

Her eyes, bright with wonder, increased in size at the revelation. How did it get to this point? What was the contributing factor that ultimately set her feelings in stone? Caspian had been nothing but kind to her. He saved her life twice already. That was more than enough. She smiled while sitting against Azalee. Maybe she will stay at Cair Paravel after all.

She heard him before she saw him. It took a while for her mind to process the new sound as it hit her ears. He spoke her name, a soft whisper that almost disappeared in the branches of the trees. Looking up, she saw the vanilla horse appear in her line of vision, and her eyes scanned up to its rider. He did not look happy, but he did not look angry either. It was an emotion that she could not read, yet it broke her heart at the same time. He dismounted, his eyes never left hers. What is this emotion and why did it strike such a chord in her?

"You're leaving?" he asked. It was in the same tone of whisper, as though that was all he was capable at the moment.

She was trying to think of ways to rectify the situation as she scrambled to her feet. Her head was swimming with thoughts and she tried to form a coherent sentence for him. She couldn't find one quick enough and he spoke again.

"Are you leaving because of me?"

His eyes were pleading for an answer, yet the rest of his body was taking on a more defensive tact as though the princess was some kind of threat and he needed to be ready in case she were to attack him.

Alena gapped at him while he took a step closer. He gauged her reaction, to see if she would back away. When she didn't he took another step forward. "Don't do this to me."

The king had lost control of his voice. He was begging and he was shocked by it. A king is not supposed to beg. The princess before him was struggling for words. He could see it in her eyes. She wanted to say something but the words were not forming easily.

"Caspian," she breathed out his name, for it was the only word that made sense at the moment.

He took another step, taking advantage of the opportunity while he had the chance. "I'm sorry for what happened in the library," he murmured quietly. Yet when the moment the sentence left his mouth, his eyes were darkened with an even more unreadable expression. "Actually, no I am not."

Her eyes were wide with surprise, not at the fact that he took it back but more at why he was even apologizing in the first place. The kiss in the library had to happen. Why would he apologize for something that had to happen? She stared at him, getting angrier at how her voice was betraying her right now, right when she needs it. He stood staring at her, his unreadable expression becoming too much to bear.

"Talk to me. If you are leaving, then I deserve an explanation," the king boldly said. He was not going to play games right now, not when he had put his heart on the line. If she truly did want to leave, he wasn't going to stop her. He was not the kind of person to keep someone against their will, despite how much he wanted to. He just needed some clarity, a peace of mind, before the two of them go their separate ways. It hurt, naturally, since this was the second girl he had grown to love since Queen Susan. He did not want to give up hope but there was not much hope left to hold onto.

Alena cleared her throat, and her squeaky, barely audible voice slipped past her lips. "I'm not leaving."

She could see the relief as it washed over his face, though there was still some trace of that unreadable expression that was driving her mad. "But you left the castle," Caspian said slowly.

Alena nodded because that was obviously the fact, but she left for other reasons, not what he was thinking. His reaction was slowly morphing into that of a concerned man rather than a bold king, and it was refreshing to see. She was still gaining traction with her voice but she felt that got the point across for the present moment.

"Why did you come here, to Dancing Lawn?" Caspian asked her. Even he would admit this was not the first place he expected her to go, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized why she picked this place. A brief flashback involving the two of them dancing together with the beautiful dryads swimming in the air around them was all the lucidity he needed as to why she chose this place.

From the look on Caspian's face, Alena was able to determine that he figured the answer out himself, without her having to say anything. "I'm scared," she ended up telling him. She was finding her voice, as she grew more and more comfortable with the idea of finally opening up to him.

"Scared?" It was his turn to be surprised, "of what?"

She was dreading that question, because there was no way her mind would allow her to process the reasons. She tore her eyes off of him, not sure where to begin. Things like this never happened to her on Galma, and she was not sure how she was supposed to react. All she knew, all that she could be sure of, was that she loved him. She loved this man before her. And no other words were needed to be said.

He understood and his facial expression reflected that. He cupped her face within the palms of his robust hands, forcing the princess to look at him. Their line of sight crossed and Caspian emitted a small smile. "You don't have to be scared of this," he told her gently, soothingly.

She said nothing and wanted to look away. His eyes grew lighter at the realization that he finally figured her out. The cloud of smoke from where her defensive wall crashed was finally clearing after all this time. Alena didn't have to say anything because he knew. He leaned in and pressed his lips against her forehead. In a comforting move, she slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him close. In that moment, everything became clear. She needed this man in her life.

He pulled away, looking at her, drinking her in. She finally spoke, having found the courage in her voice. "This is all new to me, so please forgive me, your highness, if I start acting foolish," she said while she had the chance. Caspian laughed at her. It was a pleasant laugh and exactly what he needed after worrying about losing her.

He ran a hand through her silky hair, unable to get enough of her. "Just do not think of leaving again," Caspian responded.

Alena was about to point out that she wasn't going to leave in the first place, but at this point, it was pointless to argue. She nodded in response while keeping the king in her arms.

"You have been very kind and patient with me. How can I possibly repay you?" she asked him.

She did not want to be indebted to him for his kindness and everything he had done for her as of late. There was a sparkle in his eyes and it chilled her to the bone. It was a good feeling, like her ligaments were tingling with anticipation.

"You can accompany me to a very special ball," Caspian explained. He smiled brightly at the confused look that was plastered on her face. He did not wait to have her ask the question he knew she was going to ask, "for the fallen Galma."

The spark in her eyes was exactly the reaction he was looking for. She was appreciating the thought, and the small smile that cracked against her lips was all the proof he needed to know that she agreed to it.

"You don't have to do that, your highness," Alena explained clearly.

In truth, she really admired him and his way of thinking. He had a pure and kind heart, which was a true Galman quality. She looked at him, watching the corners of his mouth curl up into an amazing smile. "I don't have anything to wear," she told him, only to have him laugh at her for the second time.

"Let me take care of that," he responded with ease, as though it were a natural response to him.

Alena could not think of a better way to say goodbye to her family, friends, and citizens by remembering them in such a fashion. It was perfect, so modern, and very exciting. With her newfound alliance with King Caspian, the so-called alliance that they shared before running to Dancing Lawn the first time, there was no better way to solidify her status in Narnia by honoring her people in a way that they deserve to be.

"I would like that," she accepted.

He pulled her in, and his lips crashed against hers. It was more than just a regular kiss. It was a promise. It was a promise to keep the integrity of Galma at the ball, and it was a promise to keep the lone princess of the fallen country safe from harm. Where in Narnia would she be safer than at Cair Paravel? It was a promise to stand by her, to help her. Though it seemed like such a simple kiss, sweet and romantic, the message it held was so much more.


	10. Chapter 10

The Caspian Calendar was supposed to list this day at the fifth day, however, it didn't matter because the Calendar was no longer being used. He was no longer counting down the days and trying to show the princess that she needed every intention to stay. He was no longer hoping, wishing, dreaming she would consider making a home for herself within Narnia instead of another foreign state. His patience was no longer wearing thin as the days drew to a close and he wondered what impact he had left on her before the next day began. None of that mattered anymore. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Alena had agreed to stay, and the Caspian Calendar was shredded up before the other days were crossed off.

Yesterday was all about Alena and Caspian. It was the day after they admitted feelings for each other, and things were brand new. As it was Day Four according to the barely readable calendar, the two of them had lunch with Azalee by the stables before going for a swim in the nearby lake. Caspian had put all of his kingly duties on hold for the day, just so he could spend it with her. But now that that day was over, it was back to being king of Narnia once again, and he had a lot to prepare for, especially with the Galman Ball coming up.

Alena was unlike her regal self now, and the sight was a true vision to Caspian's eyes. Today, the supposed fifth day was going to be unlike anything Alena had experienced so far. The ball was to be held tonight, and he was going to make sure it was memorable, both for Alena as well as her lost city of Galma. It was to be the night where Alena was to say goodbye to Galma for the last time, and hello to her new home in Narnia. It was to be the night where she let go of the past, and start living how she was supposed to be living. It was to be the night where Caspian would no longer think about Queen Susan, and bid the Pevensie girl adieu. It was to be the night where many things were going to change, for both of them.

Caspian spent the majority of the morning, planning and preparing. By early afternoon, Cair Paravel was in ball mode. The tailors were busy at work to sew Alena a fine gown with the best fabrics in Galman colors. The cooks were slaving away in the kitchen to prepare a feast that was fit for a king (and all of his royal subjects, of course.) The great hall was being decorated with flowers and candles, blanketing the hall with serene feelings of wonder. Everyone was doing their part, except for a certain Galman princess.

Caspian sent her away for most of the morning and afternoon. Alena took Azalee and found her way back to Dancing Lawn, her favorite place in all of Narnia. She dismounted her horse and let the horse graze around. Alena sat down with yet another Narnian history book, this one being about the lion known as Aslan. She began reading, her curiosity bettering her.

The book was interesting, and she was enjoying it. It gave her a new perspective on the land, the land that she has grown to love so much. She felt relaxed underneath the shade of the tree, with Azalee coming to lay close by. Days like these do not come often back in Galma, and she was almost contemplating in staying in that spot forever. Though forever was a long time, she wouldn't mind. She could stay there all day and all night long, because it cleared her mind. For once, she wasn't worried. She wasn't scared. She had everything she never thought she wanted.

In the midst of her thoughts, she heard a ruffling noise from the bushes a few feet away. Her head jerked upwards so fast, that the sudden action alerted Azalee, who was now attentive. Closing the book, and setting it aside, the princess stood up slowly. Surely it wasn't a dryad, they were not fond of sneaking up on people last she remembered. An animal, maybe?

Pulling herself together, she slowly made her way over to the rustling bushes. They still continued to move, as though they were unaware that there was another person/being among them. Taking a deep breath, the pretty princess reached out and touched the leaves, feeling the soft pricks of the thorns as she pulled the bristles back. Her eyes did not prepare her for what she saw after that.

It was a little person, a dwarf, shaking behind the shrubs with his eyes squeezed tight. His little hands were balled up, and his face crinkled heavily with contour lines.

"ACHOO!"

Alena slumped back, almost being pulled off of her feet from the unexpected sound. The dwarf looked around, somewhat apologetically, before his eyes landed on Alena. His bushy eyebrows rose quickly as he scrambled to bow before the princess.

She, in return, was watching the creature intently. They had dwarves in Galma, so she was not as curious as she was around the centaurs. However, this dwarf looked very human like, with its nice clothes and combed hair. Galman dwarves are a bit more outdoorsy, dirtier. Still, Alena nodded at the dwarf as he stood up straight. Flashes of embarrassment were shown on his face.

"Bless you," Alena finally said in response to the dwarf's sneeze.

Still looking flustered, the dwarf nodded appreciatively, while fumbling with his small fingers. Apparently, he was hoping he wouldn't be caught. Yet here he was.

"Forgive me, your highness," he spoke in a sotto voice, "but I can explain."

Honestly, Alena was not that upset. She was used to Narnian creatures popping up everywhere, that it would be a shame to think otherwise. She stood back to give the dwarf some room as he scrambled out of his hiding spot. Once on his feet, Alena noticed that he only came up to her thigh and not an inch further. She bent down before him, sitting on her knees in order to face him better, and the shine in his eyes was evident when she realized he was grateful she considered getting on his eye level.

She smiled at how his mood was being lifted, because that was what she wanted. She was not the type of girl, the type of princess, to put herself on a pedestal and be above everyone else. Maybe that was why Caspian appealed to her in the way that he has, because he valued his reign in the exact same way, where even though he was a king, he still had respect for the people he reigned over. Speaking of Caspian so suddenly, she was starting to miss him.

"My name is Trumpkin, and I'm the king's-"

"Say no more," Alena answered, cutting the dwarf off in mid sentence.

He looked surprised now, because he had every right to be. That was not a typical action of a princess, and surely he was not used to being cut off in the middle of speaking. But Alena's soft facial expression gave way that she had good intentions to act that way. She wasn't trying to be rude, not in the slightest.

"Very nice to meet you, Trumpkin. I'm Alena."

She held out her hand in reply, in hopes that the dwarf would acknowledge the gesture. His shocked expression did not go away, and he stared at her hand as though he had no idea what the appropriate activity to take was. Slowly he took it, and Alena shook his hand as well. It was not customary of a princess to shake the hand of a loyal presence, but Alena already established herself as a very uncustomary princess in Narnian terms.

They parted hands and Alena shifted on her knees while looking at him. He was dressed nicely, wearing trousers and a shirt. A burgundy vest was clasped over the shirt, illuminating the gold buttons that held it in place. His hair, white and orange in color, was clean and free of debris. His shoes, black with big gold buckles on their sides, did not help with his height but helped in his regal look. He was someone of importance, it would seem.

"The king asked me to keep an eye on you," Trumpkin responded carefully. He noticed Alena's eyes were studying him, and it made him slightly uncomfortable because he did not know to what extent she was studying him for.

Alena nodded, though she practically batted the statement away. It was obvious, and in all honesty, she appreciated Caspian looking out for her. She smiled, and looked over at Azalee, who was watching the scene intently, though deciding it was not important enough to get up for. "I already have Azalee, but I always welcome more company."

The dwarf seemed warmed by that affirmation, and nodded in reply. The princess was not at all what Caspian had described to him. He was still confused by her, but he could see what the king saw. She was a true vision to the country. She was kind and graceful, and she was also very beautiful as well.

"Are you excited for the celebration?" Alena asked the dwarf.

She was very animated, and she could not wait to pay homage to her land and family. Caspian had explained to her that the celebration was for Galma, but also for them, and even though he didn't say anything, she knew. She knew that the festivity was to happen in order to move on and be happy with the king. Though it was a very sad and unwelcoming thought, Galma would never be gone from her mind.

Trumpkin didn't say anything, but he looked as though he was. Alena scooted back over to Azalee, sitting against the horse while picking up the book she was reading. That caught the interest of the dwarf and he slowly approached to get a closer look.

"What're you reading?" Trumpkin asked. He sat down near Alena, and attempted to steal a glance at the book. Alena turned the book to him, showing him the title.

"Aslan? You want to know about Aslan?"

Alena looked at the dwarf, whose eyes lit up at the very notion of the name. She nodded in reply. Aslan was a key figure in the creation of Narnia, and it drew Alena to find out more about the lion. Narnia worshipped Aslan, and it was quite obvious how well loved the lion was among its people.

"Aslan is the greatest being in Narnia," Trumpkin began. Alena nestled into Azalee, getting comfortable as Trumpkin began his story.

"I had no idea the lion existed, until Queen Lucy came. I was born in a time when things were lost, hope was lost. Narnia was ruled by the despicable Telmarines, and the creatures that once were, were no more. Queen Lucy gave me hope that the lion was indeed real and as true as she said, but I could not believe it. I was not raised on such beliefs. But I helped them; King Peter and King Edmund, Queen Susan, and Queen Lucy, I helped them on their journey. We found other Narnians, and the prince prepared for war. Just when we had no chance, and our defeat was inevitable, there he was. Aslan, the King of Beasts, with Queen Lucy on his back, fought for our country, for his country. I owe a great deal of debt to the lion, for I would not be here had it not been for him."

Silence soon followed suit, and Alena was unaware that she held her breath for nearly the entire time. She couldn't fathom putting so much faith into hope that everything would be okay, mostly because of what she has already been through regarding the ordeal with Galma. However, she had hope now. Maybe it was the story, or maybe just Caspian in general, but she knew would strive with hope.

She stood up, snapping her fingers at Azalee, who jolted up at attention. Trumpkin followed suit. Alena looked around, drinking in the sight of Dancing Lawn. This place held so much meaning for her, and now Trumpkin added to it. His story of Aslan surpassed everything she read in the book thus far. Tucking the book in the crevices of the saddle, Alena turned to face the dwarf. "We should head back, would you like a ride?"

Trumpkin nodded, and after helping him up onto the saddle, Alena mounted the horse soon after. The dwarf gripped the back of the girl's dress, seeing as how his arms were too small to go all the way around her. He held on tight as Alena snapped the reins, and Azalee took off in the direction if Cair Paravel.

* * *

She did not see Caspian when she arrived. Trumpkin took off in his own direction, and despite Alena's attempts to try and follow him, he was quick and evaded her. She then spent a good portion of the afternoon finding Caspian, though it seemed like the king was not in the castle at all. After giving up, Alena went to her room instead. The moment she walked in, her heart leapt out of her chest. Lying delicately on her bed was a gown, spread out to show all of the intricate features. It was beautiful. The dress itself was made of silk, soft to the touch. It depicted the color of Galma, aquamarine, and was adorned with beautiful white lace.

Resting on her pillow, at the head of the dress, was her crown. Her eyes were close to welling up with tears as she looked at it. She picked it up carefully, having not seen it for a while. Her fingers touched the gems; her heart ached at the notion of wearing it. She never planned to wear the crown again. "Oh, Caspian," she murmured lightly while setting it aside. It was the only thing she had left from Galma, and the king wanted her to wear it.

Undressing from her tattered clothes, she grabbed the gown and slipped it on. It fit perfectly, and she was almost afraid to move in fear of ripping it. Her fingers traced the lacy lines, admiring the patterns as she looked down at the gown. It puffed out slightly; giving her room to move her feet, but it was not obnoxious.

She grabbed her crown, and slowly put it on her head. Turning, she looked in the mirror. A gasp escaped from her lips as she looked at herself. The sights of the diadem on her head, and the gown on her body became too much. She sank to her knees, staring at her reflection as tears poured out of her eyes. She looked exactly like Princess Alena of Galma, exactly like the heiress to King Oaison's throne. Except she was no longer the heiress, at least not anymore. She put off the realization of that discerning fact for so long, that it just hit her at once while observing her reflection.

Now she was here, in a different country, in love with its king. It just seemed too much, and she needed this. She needed a good cry to let go. Isn't that what the ball was supposed to be about, letting go and moving on?

Cleaning herself up and drying her eyes, she realized she was happy. She really was. Looking in the mirror as she fixed herself up, she scolded herself to never cry over such a thing again. There was nothing she could do about it, and that was okay. She was going to move on, as was the theme of the night supposed to be. She stood up, brushing her dress out as she hoped not to have ruined it before she even had a chance to wear it.

The ball was happening soon, and she had to keep it together. She did not want to appear weak in the eyes of the Narnians, more so in the eyes of King Caspian.

When she heard chattering throughout the corridor from her closed door, she fanned her dress out and opened it. People were excitedly making their way to the hall where the ball was to be held, and she wondered how long it had been since it started.

The doors to the great hall were shut by the time she reached them, and she could hear the merriment on the other side. Pulling the doors open, she stepped inside. However, she did not prepare herself enough for what she saw. The sight was gorgeous, beyond anything she had ever seen. The room was decorated with candles that twinkled around like stars, and there was soft music coming from an unknown source. It was a majestic party and there was no hiding that. Caspian had outdone himself, he truly did.

People littered the floor, and as Alena weaved through them, she noticed each one of them had something in common. Each person and creature was wearing an aquamarine ribbon around their wrist, and her heart fluttered at the impression of how Cair Paravel seemed to care. The ribbons appeared to be made out of the same material as Alena's dress. It warmed her heart knowing that these people and creatures, these Narnians, were taking the time to appreciate Galma in all of its glory.

Her eyes scanned the room, looking around for one particular king. She had believed he would have been hard to spot, especially since she met him for the first time in this very room, and he looked nothing like a king. But alas, there he was. And Alena knew it was him because he had donned his own crown as well. It was the first time she had ever seen him wear it, and it did him justice. He truly looked like a sovereign. The way he smiled, the way he talked to the people (and a centaur) around him, he was so charismatic and so carefree. It was as though the crown on his head did not change who he was as a person, that he was still the same Caspian as always.

He dressed as royally as a king could be. He was wearing white with gold trimmings, the crown glistening on top of his head as he tilted his head back with a laugh, and it was impossible to look away. He, too, was also wearing an aquamarine ribbon around his wrist.

She approached him, and his eyes found her own. Their sights locked, drinking each other in. His smile appeared brighter, more electrifying that she had to smile in return. He held his hand out, and she reached out to take it. The king pulled his princess in, and hugged her tightly. His lips brushed lightly against her ear that she could feel the shivers shoot up her spine.

"You look beautiful," Caspian murmured quietly.

He kept an arm around her waist, pressing her body against his own and Alena was grateful for that because she could feel her face get hot, no doubt blushing from the compliment, and she was paranoid of the king seeing her like that. He slowly swayed with her, slowly dancing with her right then and there. He ignored the Narnians he was talking to, just to show her attention. With one hand around her, resting on the curve of her waist, the other was holding her free hand tightly, as though he were afraid to let go.

His heart was beating steadily, unlike the pitter-patter of her heart. This man made her nervous. He was doing everything that she was not used to. He was doing everything that she always thought she never wanted. King Caspian gave her reason, whether he knew it or not, and she admired that. Being around him was scary, so to speak, because she had no idea what her mouth would say. Her heart would speak for her, and she was not sure what would come of the words that left her lips. This was all new to her, and she still wanted to enjoy it.

Caspian lightly dipped her, which Alena had to laugh at. He smiled at her reaction, pulling her upright again, and resumed the small, impromptu dance. He was making the night more and more perfect with each passing second. That was not something she was used to seeing on Galma, but it was growing on her.

After a few moments, Alena pulled away, much to the dismay of Caspian. He still held her as her arms slipped around his neck and pulled him down to some extent. She stood there, staring at him. Her hands played with the tendrils of hair at the nape of his neck. In that moment, everything felt right. All of the pieces of the puzzle felt in place, and everything was where it should be. Alena was happy, Caspian was happy, even the Narnians watching them appeared to be happy.

Unfortunately, all great things do come to an end, as when the doors to the hall opened. Eyes made their way to the entrance, everyone glancing for a peek. He was heard before he was seen; a gallant little mouse with a sword strapped on him, a feather ring around his ear, and his scurried paws carried his white body to the presence of the king. When he approached Caspian, the mouse cleared his throat to announce his arrival, but the king was still lost in his own world with Princess Alena.

Rolling his eyes, as he does, the mouse took his sword and poked Caspian's leg, lightly enough to stir him from the trance. The king looked down, wide eyed at his companion, and smiled brightly as though it were another excellent piece to the puzzle.

"Reep! You're back!"

Reepicheep looked weary, like he had not gotten a single wink of sleep while on his journey. He put his sword away and bowed to the king, perhaps both apologizing and relaying the fact that he was indeed back in the land of Narnia.

"I have arrived, my liege."

The king looked happy, but there were also traces of sadness in his eyes. He did not want to know what Reepicheep found on his journey to the ruined Galma, that is, if he found anything at all. However, there was an unspoken look in the mouse's eyes, something that told Caspian that his rodent companion had indeed found something.

"Perhaps we should talk elsewhere," the king replied before glancing apologetically at Alena. He was about to make his move and leave the celebration with Reepicheep, however the mouse shook his furry head at the notion. Caspian looked quite surprised and also a bit confused. Surely whatever Reepicheep had to say should not be spoken about during the party in front of everybody. That would not look good, despite what the matter was.

"The princess should come too."

Reepicheep's voice, usually bold and charismatic, suddenly spoke softer. The look of concern that was etched on the king's face grew in size as he turned to the princess, who nodded appreciatively at being kept in the loop. Silently, the king took her hand, and the pair of them followed the mouse out of the hall. The doors were shut and the celebration continued as though there was never an interruption to begin with.

The Narnian, Telmarine, and Galman proceeded down the corridors, through the kitchens, and outside of the castle through the hidden door that the cooks and servants often used. Alena's dress swept across the floor as she hurried to catch up with the fast mouse, while her king was right at her toes.

"There is something you both need to see," Reepicheep spoke, his bold voice returning little by little.

The trio carefully walked along the path (carefully because Alena's dress was not make for such a trek), and down to the lake, where the boat was waiting. Reaching closer, Caspian recognized the guards who went with Reepicheep on his journey, and nodded to all of them as they bowed at the king. Caspian still could not get used to that, but appreciated it nonetheless.

"She's in there," Reep pointed to the boat, where a lone figure curled up in a riding hood was hunched about.

Both the king and the princess approached the boat with caution, and the king reached out to touch the figure's shoulder. The person underneath the hood jumped at the feeling, and scrambled away from the king. The hood, which hid its face, finally fell and showed the king and the princess exactly who they were dealing with.

Looks of horror were exchanged between Alena and Caspian. It was a girl, with hair dark as a raven's and in thick, violent curls that reached her shoulders. Alena had to gasp, covering her mouth in shock from seeing the person before her.

Caspian turned to face Alena, looking alarmed at her reaction. He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to comfort her and calm her down. Looking into her eyes in the gentlest way possible, he asked, "Do you know her?"

Alena nodded, and mumbled through her palms while her eyes never left the girl in the boat. "Her name is Megra. She's my sister."

What made it even more frightening was that Alena was sure her sister was dead.


	11. Chapter 11

Alena stared in horror at what she was seeing. Her sister, after all this time, was actually alive. How did she survive? Galma was under attack. There were people dying all over the place, including their father, King Oaison. All this time, Alena thought for sure that she was the last Galman, the last remaining princess to the crumbled state. Yet, she wasn't. Part of her felt relieved, but the other part of her felt concerned as well.

"She was hidden away, your highness, hiding underneath the floorboards in the kitchen," Reepicheep spoke quietly, as though any loud noises would change the face of the situation.

The girl looked at Alena, her eyes wide with such emotion as she scrambled over to the princess. Her arms locked themselves around Alena, hugging while mixing in a few sobs of happiness. Alena hugged her sister back, feeling the emotions welling up inside of her before she, too, was crying in happiness. Caspian slinked back, giving the reunited siblings some room.

"What of Galma?"

The king turned to ask the bold mouse, who was busy watching the reunion with interest. Reep's eyes shot up to the king, looking tired but still full of adventure nonetheless. He wanted to say something, but the look on his face told Caspian everything. It was a mixture of worrisome and anger, something even the king had yet to witness in full force within the tiny mouse.

Suddenly, his crown felt like it weighed a million pounds. There was something not right about this whole situation, according to Reepicheep, even though the rodent did not admit to his findings verbally. Caspian reached out and touched Alena's shoulder as gently as he could, and the princess reluctantly pulled away from her sister to turn to him. She was smiling, a bright smile like when she first entered the hall and saw how amazing it looked. It was her happy smile, a smile that Caspian was growing comfortable in seeing.

"This is my sister, Megra," Alena said while turning to look at the dark-haired girl, "and this is Caspian, the king."

The two parties nodded at one another, and Caspian helped Megra out of the boat. The guards that had accompanied Reepicheep on the trip were dispersing, though some lingered back to watch the scene play out, trying to be unnoticed. Megra's feet touched solid land and Alena moved to hug her sister again.

"What happened?" Alena asked. She needed to know. She spent all this time wallowing in sadness at the lost of her land and her family that it seemed very unreal that Megra was even standing there with her.

Megra's eyes darkened, whether in anger or in sadness, Alena couldn't tell. "They came in the middle of the night. None of us were prepared. Our army was not prepared, nor expected such an attack," Megra said. Her voice raised a few octaves, clearly perplexed at the events she had witnessed.

Galma was such a peaceful state, that it truly did not need an army. However, when King Oaison rose to power, one of the first things he did was to establish an army, just in case. They received training and care, but were never really needed. Nobody attacked Galma, because nobody had any reason to. There was nothing special about the land, nothing worth invading it for. Besides, Galma had alliances with many other nearby countries, ones who were a bit unstable compared to them, and it worked out well. There was never any problems until now, which is what made this situation all that more shocking.

"Do you know who they were?" Alena was bent on interrogating her sister, she was craving answers.

Caspian watched with a sad heart. He spent all of this time trying to help Alena move on, when this happens. He didn't predict it, how could he? Still, it was apparent to the king that Alena would be seeking answers, and not move on until she was satisfied. It was not at all what Caspian wanted, but he knew he wanted her to be happy. Frowning slightly, the king turned to Reepicheep, who did not look the least bit amused at the ongoing reunion.

"I must speak with the king in private," Reepicheep responded in a voice so low, it was undetectable to the others around them.

Caspian nodded, before turning back to Alena and grabbing her arm lightly to catch her attention. Megra was in the middle of describing the people that attacked Galma, ("...they had metal faces and were tall as statues, not a shred of emotion was shown...") before she was cut off with the king beckoning his princess.

Alena reached for his hand, finding comfort that he was next to her in a time like this. She needed the support that only Caspian can provide for her. "May she stay in Cair Paravel?" Alena asked Caspian, her eyes pleading to not be parted with her sister.

He smiled, nodding at the request. How could he even turn her down? "Of course. We should head back though."

The princess agreed and linked her arm within her sister's, and the remaining party walked the path back up to the castle. Most of the guards had gone ahead, informing the masses of Reep's arrival and the new girl that came along with them. The party was still in full swing with the attendants having no recollection that Caspian was not among them anymore. Alena took Megra to fetch the girl a room, whereas Caspian and Reepicheep reconvened in the king's chambers.

The door was shut tightly, as Caspian turned to face the mouse. Reepicheep climbed up onto the table, which was strewn with books and battle plans, and strategies left over from the battle that had happened not too long ago. Reep scanned some of the papers, frowning at the sight of them before turning to look at Caspian.

The king pulled his crown off of his head and set it aside, feeling better now that the mass of metal was no longer weighing down his thoughts. There was a reason he didn't wear his crown often, and it was for situations like that. When things happen beyond his control, he could feel the amount of pressure seeping into his crown, effectively suffocating him in theory. Caspian marched over to the mouse, which remained bold and upright despite looking heavily exhausted.

"What did you find?"

As soon as the words slipped past his lips, Caspian almost regretted it. Part of him did not even want to know what was found, because he wanted to get over that. He wanted Galma to rest in peace, plain and simple. There were too many factors presented though, to keep that from happening, and it only annoyed him further.

"You will not like it, my liege."

"Tell me."

Reepicheep was a wonderful creature, for he really did swear his allegiance to the king in all aspects and forms. It was hard to defy the king, not that he would even begin to try, but there were just some things the mouse felt that needed to be respected. Inhaling, the weary rodent kept his straight stature before saying one word. One word was all that was needed in order to explain what he saw, and what had happened. If he could pick any other word, he would have, but nothing would suit the situation more.

"Telmarines."

The king stood there, his head slowly tilted to the side as though he was sampling the word. His eyes were alight with curiosity, not sure what to make of it. It was almost as if he had to hear it again just to be sure. "Telmarines," the king repeated slowly.

The word was bitter against his lips. He internally struggled to make sense of it. It just didn't seem real. It didn't seem possible, and he did not understand why such a word would even make an appearance.

Caspian's blood was boiling when his brain fully processed the word. How was that possible? He thought the point was obvious when Narnia wiped the Telmarines out of their country. Why initiate an attack on another country? Why attack a country that had no business being attacked in the first place?

"Are you sure?" It was such a stupid and inconvenient question, but Caspian had to know.

Reepicheep nodded woefully while gripping the hilt of his sword in respect. "There was evidence of a Telmarine attack. The catapults were still on the land when we arrived. Spears were used to kill the animals, and flaming arrows were used to kill the Galmans. They did not stand a chance, your highness. It is luck that Princess Alena and Princess Megra are alive."

It was a horrible story, one that mimicked the Narnian battle far too much. Faith was no longer restored in his people, the people of Telmar, and he was angry. The king was severely furious and it showed. He was not trying to hide it anyway. The battle between Narnia and Telmar was abhorrent and bloody. Too many innocent people lost their lives that day, whereas too many corrupted people remained alive to tell the tale. It disgusted him, how his homeland went to war with a country not even prepared. And at what cost? Innocent lives should have been spared.

"What is troublesome, my king, is that the Telmarines did not appear to be looking for anything. It appeared that they came through, attacked in the dead of night, and killed every living thing they could find."

Reepicheep needed to be quiet now, because the words leaving his mouth were only enraging the king even further.

He was beyond furious now, and Reepicheep braced himself for the initial blow. However, it did not come like he thought. Caspian was careful, despite all odds. The king sat down on one of the heavy chairs that littered around the table, and he sighed. It was a heavy, weighted sigh, like he was out of options and had nothing left.

"I thought I made it clear," Caspian began, though he was gritting his teeth which made him sound even more menacing, "that Telmarines will never win against the power of Narnians. So they attack Galma?! They had no right, and they know it."

Reepicheep's stance was getting to be too much for him, and the mouse plopped down in solemn regret. There was silence after that, while the king stewed in his anger, it gave the mouse time to think of something nice to say, something to relieve the situation somehow. He wasn't sure how, or what could possibly give way and shine a light on the horrible night.

The night was surely ruined now, and Caspian despised it. All of his planning, all of his hard work for the girl he loved, did not even seem worth it after the notions he was told about. His people, attacking an unprepared country... That was definitely a new low and he was not going to take that lying down. He stood up almost immediately, which had alarmed the mouse and rid the tiredness from his beady eyes.

The king stormed out of the room with the mouse right at his heels, running on adrenaline in order to keep up. He reached the landing, jogging down the steps two at a time. Reep was almost lost in the process but he quickly caught up. Caspian made a hard right, and forced himself into a nearby room. Eyes were on him as he stared at his loyal centaurs, and Glenstorm approached him with an embracing bow.

"What brings you here, my king?" Glenstorm asked. His wife and their children lived in this part of Cair Paravel. The room itself was very large and had a side door that lead outside to a makeshift hut where the centaurs often slept. Also, it gave them the freedom to be outside, which was always their habitat regardless. It fit them, and the half-human, half-horselike creatures were happy. They were treated well beyond normal, and Caspian often told them that if they needed anything else, they should not hesitate to ask.

"I was told that the attack on Galman soil was caused by the Telmarines," Caspian explained wearily. He had calmed down considerably since, but there were still traces of bitterness in his voice.

Glenstorm's eyes rose wide at the accusation, though it did not surprise him in the slightest. His wife, realizing where the conversation was heading, ushered the boys outside along with herself, ensuring the privacy of her husband, the king, and the loyal mouse.

"With my newfound alliance with Galma," Caspian continued, "I find the attack to be, not only an attack on Galma, but an attack on Narnia as well."

Glenstorm nodded, agreeing without a doubt. He had heard all about Galma through the whispers in the walls, ever since Princess Alena graced the castle with her presence. He did not need to be reminded of the situation at hand, since it was already seared in his mind.

"What would you like us to do?" Glenstorm asked boldly. However, he knew the answer was fairly obvious.

"Prepare yourself," Caspian's teeth were gritted once more, and the next five words left his mouth so easily, he was practically disgusted with himself at how effortless it was to say, "we are at war with Telmar."


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I apologize for the horrible lack of updates. I have no excuse. I was simply uninspired and couldn't bring myself to write for a while. But then after reading some stories on here, creativity ensued and I'm back!**

**Thanks to those who have stuck by, waiting patiently, and thanks to the new people who are just now tuning in. Leave a review on your way out!**

* * *

By morning, there were grumbles through the castle, whispers from creatures about the king's bold choice to go to war with his original homeland. With those, they tacked on rumors about Megra's appearance being the reason why. Her sudden presence was the highlight of the morning, especially among the Narnians who had to wake up at the brisk of dawn to clean up the grand hall after the celebration.

Megra's presence only stirred Cair Paravel up even more than when Alena first arrived. Most Narnians were smart – how could one Galman on that entire island be the only survivor? There had to be more.

Luckily, Caspian's ears were not kept out of the sounds as he was well aware of the suspicions. However, he simply chose to ignore them. His more concerning problem was Telmar. His home state destroyed Galma, who had no qualms with anybody, and he was more surprised that Megra's appearance was more interesting among his people.

He stayed out of company eyes for the most of the morning, locking himself in his chambers with Reepicheep, Glenstorm, Trumpkin, and other noted figures of his army. Strategies must commence, and he alerted his guards to refuse entrance to anybody unless it was of dire importance.

* * *

Alena was on the other side of Cair Paravel, and somehow she successfully escaped the whispers about Megra as well as the impending war that lingered not too far behind. Her morning was spent in the gardens with her sister, sharing stories of her time in Narnia. Megra was listening with such anticipation; eyes wide with wonder over hearing Alena describe the dryads. Megra, in turn, spoke of what happened when she was rescued.

A tiny little mouse was able to sniff her out from beneath the floorboards of the kitchen, where Megra survived on stale bread and cheese from a nearby cupboard. There were tears, mostly when King Oaison was mentioned, and then the pair of sisters comforted each other to the best of their ability.

When the afternoon reached its peak, Megra opted to lie down for a bit, still tired from the previous night's journey. Alena nodded, thinking it was the perfect time to seek Caspian out, since she had not yet seen him since they parted ways.

Megra took off to her room, and Alena strutted through weeds and a path of dead flowers to reach the side door of the castle that would lead her straight to Caspian's chambers. The cobblestones carried her feet to the door, and she pushed it open. The door was extremely heavy. It was made of the same stone as the castle itself, blending in to look like a secret entrance.

Mustering up her strength, she pushed the door shut once she was safely confined in the castle walls. Finding Caspian's chambers was actually getting easier and easier, because she often found shortcuts that she never intended to find in the first place. They just seemed to pop up out of nowhere, and she had a hard time remembering where they were sometimes. Luckily, new ones presented themselves often, which led her to other unexplored parts of Cair Paravel as well.

His chamber door was at the end of a very long hallway with other miscellaneous doors leading up to it. She still did not know what more than half of the other rooms in Cair Paravel contained. The hallway was intimidating and she slowly maneuvered down it. Her fingertips lightly traced the wall, guiding her as she approached the door that would lead her to where she wanted to go.

A guard was standing there, off to the side of the wall. Alena reluctantly ignored him, because that was not an uncommon sight to see sometimes. A king needs his protection, and the Galman princess understood better than anybody.

She reached for the handle, only to have the guard's sword clash down and block her touch. The princess was so frightened of the action that she jumped back, hugging her hand to her chest as though the guard struck her. She stared at the guard, menace pouring in her eyes. That never happened to her before. She was always able to see Caspian whenever she wanted. The guards knew her. Caspian personally told each of them that Alena had free reign. What the hell changed?

"No one is allowed inside," the guard grumbled.

His voice was deep and husky. Gray hairs were shown in the specks of light above his lip. He had a more muscular stature despite his older appearance. Laugh lines traced his eyes, suggesting he has seen more than his fair share in life.

"But…" Alena was caught completely off guard, and it only enticed her curiosity, "I need to see the king."

The sentry shifted, and his eyes marked the story of some untold internal battle. He wanted to let her in; he just had strict orders and had to keep them intact. Alena understood, but she still wasn't happy about it. Without any words being said, she nodded, having accepted defeat.

"Please tell him I stopped by," she said after a few short minutes.

The guard nodded apologetically and the notion that he felt bad was etched on his face. However, rules were rules. There was nothing he could do about it, no matter how much he wanted to. When the princess realized he still wouldn't budge and still held onto the orders that were given to him, Alena turned on her heel and casually walked the way that she came.

* * *

Inside the chambers, everybody was standing around the circular slab, heavily mimicking a 'knights of the round table' feel. They were pouring over the past battle plans and strategies, determined to find new angles and new surprises for the Telmarine army.

"What is their weak point? Where can we have an advantage?" a loyal, muscular guard asked.

"Well, they don't like water," Trumpkin grumbled in a soft voice that was laced profoundly with sarcasm.

There were murmurs amongst the men, centaurs, dwarves, and mouse. Nobody really brought anything else to the table since the attack on Galma was highly unexpected. Some of the members were still processing the fact t that they had to go through yet another battle with the Telmaries, as though one was not enough. The pressing concern was how it would play out, and the Narnian army had to brace itself for a surprise attack, which the Telmarines happen to specialize in so suddenly.

Caspian's palms clenched tightly at his sides. His mind reeled back to the battle of the Narnians and the Telmarines that happened not so very long ago. Such a battle was still fresh, its wounds not fully healed and open for the whole world to see. The idea of peace, something Caspian longed for since he became king, seemed like a dream that was slipping further and further away. He felt like he failed as a king. Everything he stood for was being questioned, and none of his contributions made much of a difference if scenarios like the Telmarine attack on Galma kept happening.

"All of our advances need to be ready," Caspian said at once. His voice was rich with authority and it was enough to make the prominent leaders of his army stand at attention. "Our naval ships need to be fueled and ready for battle should they attack by sea. Our cavalry needs to be posted throughout the land if they are to march by foot. And Cair Paravel," his eyes unmistakably darkened in anger, "needs to be ready and embrace itself for the oncoming war. I want a guard posted at all times, on lookout for any Telmarines. I want the kitchen to continue making food and storing it away to be rationed when needed. I need each and every one of you to go to your armies and devise a plan. Do not tell me the plans. If Telmarines work best with surprise, then that is what we shall do as well."

The king looked at his soldiers, his loyal adversaries, the creatures and men that fought so bravely with him once before. They all nodded in agreement at Caspian's proposal, but there was still a looming feeling of dread lurking in the air, something that even Reepicheep himself could not shake off.

Feeling a lump in his throat, Caspian tried to swallow it down as he began to speak with conviction. "I am not asking you to risk your lives for me a second time," he spoke. His voice was softer now, as though he were growing weary and tiresome, because in a way he was. The last attack had taken much out of him.

Though Narnia won, Caspian still failed. He lost the only father figure in his life. He lost his teacher and friend. He was thrown into the lush green forest of Narnia with no one by his side, stripped away of all titles and everything that made him important. He lost his old life for his new life, and even though he did not regret his actions, not even a little bit, it still felt like something was missing. The king could not put his finger on it, but it did feel like something was not quite right.

He stared down at his leaders, those whom he trusted most of all. They were tall and elegant, standing straight up at his words with somber expressions on their faces. They, too, were not looking forward to what was being unfolded in place. The Narnia that Caspian had desperately tried to rebuild was going to crumble at the Telmarine force. The people that he was one subjected to rule over were looking to start yet another war.

"That's the beauty of it, your highness," Reepicheep spoke up, his bold voice not even matching the appearance of his rodent exterior, "you do not have to."

There were murmurs and nods from the other leaders. Caspian never felt more at home than he did right now. These people were his family. They fought for him, alongside him, for the greater good. They trusted him as their leader, their king, a title he is struggling to hold on to.

"We have come a long way since the first battle," he spoke up, enunciating each word slowly. He was choosing his words carefully, for this was the last time he might be seeing his adversaries alive and all in one place. "Advise your plans among your own teams, and when the time is right, we will come together."

He unsheathed his sword, holding it up in the air. One by one, each of the 'knights' pointed their sword in the air with Caspian's, forming an unbreakable bond around the table. No other words needed to be said. It was that feeling, a feeling of high and might and power, which gave everybody the courage that they needed. Not only were they scared, and tired, but they were also excited to go back into another battle. They had a purpose now, and that was their loyalty to their king.

* * *

After the meeting, everybody went scampering off to their own separate ways. The whispers throughout the castle were getting louder, as though the rest of the patrons of Cair Paravel knew something was amiss. But nobody said anything. Nobody confirmed what was happening. It was scary, how menacing the guards looked as they went from post to post. People were reluctant to stay out of their way, though some were heavily encouraged to follow them and see what was happening with their own eyes.

Caspian was alone now, and his eyes shifted to the horn that rested in its glass case along the wall. He wanted to call them – no, he longed to call them. He wanted their help, their advice. Narnia would not have advanced had it been for High King Peter's confidence, High Queen Susan's nobility, King Edmund's loyalty, and Queen Lucy's perseverance.

His fingers traced the glass, using just a little bit of strength to coax the box open, but it remained shut. He didn't want to open it. He didn't want to call them. He wanted to prove to everybody that he could do this himself, which he could fight for Narnia as their king.

How did he get put into this situation?

He slumped against the bed, staring up at the etched lion face in his ceiling. Things would be different if he was just normal, if there was no royal lineage attached to his bloodline. He didn't want people to get hurt, or worse, during the Telmarine attack, but he knew such things were inevitable and that death was looming for some innocent bystanders. He will do what he can to make sure people are well taken care of, but he could not account for everybody. However, there was one person he _could_ account for, and the very thought brought him sitting straight up almost immediately.

His legs made long strides to the door and he opened it, stepping out into the hallway. Luckily he knew exactly where she was, and made a mental map in his mind to seek her out.

If there was one person he could save, it would be her.

His feet carried him down each winding hallway, his mind was already racing with a plan of action to try and save her. He knew she would probably fight him off, tell him to go away, perhaps even get angry at his suggestions, but Caspian was not in the mood to reason with her. Especially when her life was on the line, he did not want to worry about her when it happened. He wouldn't be able to think straight if something were to happen to her.

Luckily, Caspian's suspicions were correct when he pushed open the door and saw the girl sitting right where she always was. She was reading again, this time it was a book he could not make out.

Her eyes shot up when she saw the man standing in her peripherals. A look of worry crossed on her face. Caspian looked positively scary. He looked menacing and determined, but also somewhat soft and relaxed at the same time. It looked as though the king were battling several different emotions all at once, with no indication of which feeling would come out on top.

Alena rose onto her feet while Caspian stepped into the library. The walls constricted around him, pushing the rest of the world out as he focused on her. She looked small and breakable.

"Caspian…"

Hearing his name left no affect. He moved across the room and grabbed her by the arm gently; trying his best not to scare her though he knew he was failing. The look in her eyes was something he had seen before when Alena was on the floor of the grand hall, being accused of being a thief. She was nervous, fearful, and weak. And Caspian could not reassure her, no matter how much he tried.

"You need to leave," he said as boldly as ever, though his eyes did not match the tough front he was attempting to put on.

A small gasp escaped her lips at the sudden announcement, and her look of fear turned into confusion. However, the king refused to back down. In order to protect her, it was better this way. Perhaps if she hated him enough, she wouldn't come back to the ruins and the death of the castle. He did not undermine the Telmarine army. He knew the castle would cease to stand anymore, and that Death was waiting along the lines with his scythe ready. He did not want Alena to be near when it happened.

It was a bold choice but something awoke inside of him at that moment. He made a decision, one that would surely impact the rest of Narnia and all of their peoples. Looking at her in that moment, he knew what he had to do. And Alena cannot be around when it happened.

He gripped her arm tightly, with more force than he probably intended, and jerked her out of the library. The book flew out of her hand as she attempted to protest and reason with him, but Caspian refused to look at her. It was breaking his heart, forcing her away, but there was no other choice. He was not going to risk _her_ life on top of everyone else. He needed her gone, far far away from the castle, and from him.

"Caspian, stop!"

She struggled; it was useless. Caspian had much more strength that she had, and there was no point. The pair went down the stairs, Alena's voice protesting behind him. Each word licked his ear with such terror, and it took everything for him to not look back at her. Pulling her outside, she knew where they were going.

The stables.

She wrestled her arm free from Caspian's grip as the king approached Azalee and got the horse ready for travel. The princess just stared at him. The guard on duty was asleep yet again, and despite Alena's cries of protest, he could not be roused up. There was something very, very wrong and it scared her. She had never seen Caspian like this before.

Once Azalee was hitched and ready, Caspian grabbed Alena who was, once again, trying to reason with the king. He forced her toward the horse, and it was only then that tears sprang into her eyes.

"What are you doing? Stop it… I don't want to leave!"

Each word was like an invisible slap to his face. But the thought of protecting her still remained. He was scared for her life. Galma had no army, they didn't need one. She had some training under her belt but would not be much of an asset to the cause. Compared to the harsh Telmarine army, Alena's training from her father would be at novice level, at best. And Caspian refused, absolutely refused, to have her fight anyone she could not defeat.

He picked her up and placed her on the saddle. Azalee nodded approvingly, seeing as how the horse had grown so accustomed to Alena, that no one else could ride her.

"You need to go away, far away from here. Do not come back. Under any circumstances, do not come back. Your sister will be joining you soon," Caspian replied. He couldn't bear the thought of breaking the Galman sisters apart, after the horrible experience that had happened between them. Megra will have to join Alena somewhere far away, where the two will be safe from harm's way.

"Tell me why," Alena replied. Her voice cracked as she could no longer keep it together. The tears flew freely now, and Caspian took that chance to finally look at her. He had to lie to her, to break her. It would be so easy and then she would never want to come back.

Swallowing, Caspian kept a definitive stand as he handed Alena the reins, whose shaking hands took them. "Because…" he said slowly, and his voice was trying to remain as even as possible even though it struggled to keep control, "I don't want you with me."

The shock that flashed in her eyes was too much and Caspian had to pull away. He broke her heart, the girl he loved. He crushed her and he knew it from the way she shifted on the saddle. He did want her with him though, and his mind was screaming to keep her in place. However, his heart would not be able to handle it had something happen to her when the Telmarines showed up.

"You will leave and never come back," Caspian replied.

Giving the horse's thigh a harsh pat, Azalee took off before Alena could say anything else.

The king watched from the stables, watching the chocolate brown horse disappear into the mass of trees. He slumped back, worn and exhausted. But he took pride in knowing she would be safe, and that was the only thing that mattered. He was as callous as he could be to her, and it was a challenge to not give in to her pleas. It was a challenge to not hold her, kiss her, and let her know everything was nothing to be alright. Because it wasn't. Nothing was going to be alright. He was putting his life on the line for Narnia, and more importantly, her. He was going to sacrifice himself to the Telmarine army in hopes that they will stop their endless tirade of invading the lands. He was not going to see her again.

The horse disappeared completely, carrying the girl he loved. He mustered up in a whisper, knowing she couldn't even hear him before saying, "Goodbye, Alena."

His heart wasn't just broken anymore. It was shattered.


End file.
